Industry leaders meet Lord Mandelson

The impact of the current economic crisis on small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction industry has been highlight to Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform. Following his recent statement in the House of Lords that he would seek to improve cashflow for SMEs by requiring public-sector purchasers to pay their bills within 10 days, representatives of the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group met him for a further discussion of payment issues. Claire Curtis-Thomas led the SEC delegation and assured the secretary of state that the most effective solution was for the Government to ensure that project bank accounts were established as a matter of routine for all public-sector contracts. SEC Group chairman Trevor Hursthouse added that a positive response from Lord Mandelson to this proposal could significantly reduce the risk of widespread insolvencies across construction. Claire Curtis-Thomas says, ‘The implementation of project bank accounts across UK construction would revolutionise payment practices in the construction industry and make a significant contribution to resolving the current problems affecting SMEs.’



modbs tv logo

More refrigerant bans possible, says government

The government could tighten up the rules that restrict the use of global warming refrigerant gases including speeding up phase-out programmes and introducing new bans, according to a spokesman from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Baxi research suggests schools strongly support heat decarbonisation

A survey conducted by Baxi of 200 state school estates managers, consultant engineers and M&E contractors has found that while enthusiasm for Net Zero and support for low carbon heating systems in schools is thriving, persistent barriers remain.