In light of recent Parliamentary discussions on the use of retentions in construction, Build UK, of which FIS is a member, along with other members of the CLC met with Construction Minister Lee Rowley to discuss how the Government and industry can work together on this issue, building on the work previously undertaken by Build UK through its Roadmap to Zero Retentions.

With any legislation on retentions unlikely during this Parliament, Build UK will be reviewing the milestones in its roadmap over the coming months, including the Minimum Standards on Retentions and the table of public sector retention policies.

Dame Judith Hackitt has also made the case for removing retentions, stating that they are ‘totally inconsistent with collaborative procurement’. Speaking earlier this month at the launch of the Guidance on Collaborative Procurement for Design and Construction to Support Building Safety, she outlined how “suppliers assume they will never receive their retention payments…so therefore from the outset of projects with retentions involved they are looking for other ways to cut costs, cut corners and save money in whatever way possible”.

Read the FIS Position Paper on Retentions which FIS advocates are an archaic way to manage quality and no longer fit for purpose.  They undermine a positive culture in construction and engender a lack of trust.