Government appoints its second Chief Construction Adviser
Peter Hansford has been appointed the Government’s new Chief Construction Adviser to succeed Paul Morrell, OBE, when he stands down from the role at the end of November 2012. A former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Mr Hansford will work with Government and industry to ensure Britain’s construction industry is equipped with the knowledge, skills and best practice it needs in its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Business Minister Mark Prisk said, ‘I welcome Peter to the role of Chief Construction Adviser. He is well known and respected in the construction sector, and his wealth of experience will prove an invaluable asset as we move forward with our construction agenda.
‘Over the last three years, Paul Morrell oversaw the publication of the ‘Low carbon construction, innovation and growth team’ report, the introduction of cost benchmarking and the establishment of procurement models for industry.
Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said, ‘This is an incredibly important role. Over the next four years, there are over 600 Government-funded construction projects and programmes, which will see about £40 billion of investment.’
Peter Hansford said, ‘I am delighted to have been selected as the Government’s new Chief Construction Adviser, building on the excellent foundation created by Paul Morrell. I am excited by the challenge of working with industry to deliver the construction agenda and to progress the transition to a low-carbon economy.’
The Construction Industry Council has welcomed the appointment of Peter Hansford. Graham Watts, chief executive of CIC, comments, ‘Peter has been directly involved in the development of the Government Construction Strategy as chair of the infrastructure group. He brings wealth of leadership experience to the role.’
Gordon Masterton, deputy chairman of CIC and a former ICE president, added, ‘Peter is an inspired choice for the role. In his time at ICE, he raised the institution’s profile with Government significantly and demonstrated a deep understanding of the need for construction to deliver, and demonstrate, value.’
