HVCA president welcomes select-committee report

HVCA president Gareth Vaughan has responded enthusiastically to a new report on the construction industry by the House of Commons Business & Enterprise Select Committee, which picks up many of the concepts and solutions that the specialist engineering sector has been promoting for more than a decade. Gareth Vaughan told the recent HVCA president’s luncheon in London, ‘In addition to project bank accounts, which are already gaining favour with a number of clients, the proposals include the early involvement of the supply chain in the procurement process and an end to the use of retention clauses in public-sector contracts.’ He insisted, ‘The over-riding message was that positive action was required if best practice was to be implemented throughout the construction sector. Positive action, not just from Government but also from professional, equipment suppliers, specifiers and the contracting industry itself.’ Referring to HVCA’s commitment to the promotion of positive reform that would encourage higher standards, fairer working practices, increased quality and greener solutions, Gareth Vaughan said, ‘I believe we now have an opportunity to drive forward such reform, to change for the better the way we do business.’ He urged the construction industry to offer its enthusiastic backing to the proposals of the select committee — and the Government to incorporate them without delay into its procurement strategies.

Related links:

• www.hvca.org.uk