THE WORD AT WESTMINSTER
WHAT’S UP AT WESTMINSTER?
Support for a mandatory licensing scheme is building and that is good news for the industry,
says Jeremy Gray, Head of External Affairs at the FMB
T he sudden change in international norms set out by President Trump and the subsequent scramble to react by European leaders has taken up much of the news. But far from the political machinations of world leaders and much closer to home, policy affecting our industry has been ticking along. We’ve seen more on housing and skills policies, which is positive but unlikely to shift the dial. It’s good to see momentum for licensing once again building, which I’ll dig into here. Momentum builds for licensing An issue that has long been pushed by the FMB is licensing builders to ensure there is minimum competence in place – and the proof thereof – to be a builder. The aim is to rid cowboys from the marketplace and give consumers a clear route to take action against rogue traders. Momentum has once again been gathering, with a new government in place and the second phase Grenfell Inquiry report recommending that licensing should be introduced, albeit for major contractors. However, the principle applies to all parts of the market.
A Private Members’ Bill on licensing the construction industry is being taken to the House of Commons
them, but they do highlight an issue, even if they don’t progress into law. The FMB will be backing Garnier’s bill and we’re supporting the promotion and technical elements behind the scenes. But this isn’t where the momentum stops. We’re updating a report from 2018, which set out quite broadly what licensing would look like. Our new report will specifically focus on how a licensing regime will operate in practice – a key question we need to answer for us to gain traction with the government. The updated report will be launched in parliament in May at the House of Lords, with politicians and stakeholders from across the spectrum invited to learn about how crucial licensing is to the industry. Keep an eye out for updates in coming months. The road to achieving a mandatory licensing scheme will be difficult – it’s never easy trying to implement new laws – but momentum is on our side and the FMB will use this to share the message.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) agrees, and has called for builders to be licensed similarly to architects. We understand the logic – what’s the point of the designer being regulated if the person implementing the design is not? The entire system around a builder is regulated: insurance, planning, products, but the key element – the builder – is not, and it could be anyone who is carrying out the work. This puts homeowners at unnecessary risk, and when a project goes wrong due to dodgy work, it tarnishes the reputation of all builders. Our members overwhelmingly support licensing – as many as 86 per cent according to our last poll. Licensing heads to parliament Mark Garnier MP, a long-time advocate for licensing, has once again brought a Private Members’ Bill to the House of Commons. These personally sponsored bills seldom get very far unless the government backs
15
Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker