The Department for International Trade has opened a consultation on what WTO import tariffs the UK should set from 01 January 2021 onwards. The rates the UK applies following the consultation will impact imports from countries we do not have preferential relationships with (the assumption being that we will have an Free Trade Agreement with the EU and other current FTA partners, which avoid tariffs on imports from those jurisdictions). The UK will also continue to allow imports at lower tariffs from the world’s poorest countries, as at present. In line with the Northern Ireland protocol, special arrangements will apply to goods entering Northern Ireland.
The government is aware that some members would like to see lower tariffs on the goods they import, and some members might be concerned about the impact of lowering tariffs on the UK market, where there is particularly strong and/or unfair competition from certain other countries. The government wants to hear about all of these interests in the coming weeks – now is the time to make feelings known, ahead of final ministerial decisions being taken. We strongly encourage FIS members to share their views. FIS will submit a collective response via the Construction Products Association (CPA). To feed in your views to this please email iainmcilwee@thefis.org by 3 March 2020. (The consultation closes on Thursday 5 March.) Full details here.
Please note also that government confirmed plans to introduce full import controls for goods moving into and out of the EU to Great Britain after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. This means that all goods entering the UK from the EU will be subject to the same checks and controls as goods coming from the rest of the world and that there will be new processes that UK exporters and importers of EU goods will have to comply with, whether we reach a new trade agreement or not.
Hot on the heels of the National Apprenticeship Week, it’s time for Scotland to showcase their apprentices.
‘Talent without Limits’ has been announced as the theme, which will celebrate the diversity and value that apprenticeships bring to employers, apprentices and communities across Scotland today. From highlighting the breadth of industries and roles available to the talent and energy apprentices bring into the workplace.
We urge all our FIS members based in Scotland and Approved Training Providers to let us know about any plans they have for the week and refer any stories/case studies that could help to promote the sector – email details to yasminkauser@thefis.org or call 07741 552080 and DON’T FORGET to enter your apprentices into the FIS Scottish Awards – Apprentice of the Year category. The deadline for entry is 29 February.
FIS Chief Executive Iain McIlwee attended Build UK’s ‘Any Questions?’ event last week, which delivered an informative and thought-provoking debate.
With HS2 being given the ‘green light’ earlier in the week, the event provided the ideal opportunity to think strategically about how construction must change to deliver an infrastructure revolution.
What matters to construction
The panel was clear that collective culture change was required, with Nick Smallwood (Infrastructure and Projects Authority) pointing out that it starts at the top, giving the industry leaders in the room a clear role to play.
Procurement took centre stage, from the impact of Carillion’s collapse and the transfer of risk through the supply chain, to the need for greater investment in technology and innovation. This will require a clear pipeline of work and more consistency from clients, which in turn would enable the supply chain to increase efficiency and productivity.
Processes, people and skills were identified by Mark Farmer (Cast Consultancy) as crucial to winning back public confidence in the aftermath of Grenfell, while Ann Bentley (Rider Levett Bucknall) was passionate about the industry doing more to address the legacy of the fire and demonstrate that new buildings are both fit for purpose and perform as intended. Driving demand for more Modern Methods of Construction with its potential to meet challenging housing targets was raised – can this new way of working also address the desire for greater flexibility and job security?
The panel was unanimous in its view that we should focus on the positives of working in construction, which included well paid roles at all levels when compared to other sectors.
This led onto discussion of the current levy and training systems, and whether they are delivering the apprentices the industry needs. Peter Lauener (CITB) rose to the challenge, setting out how CITB was moving from being a delivery body to an enabling one, supporting employers to meet their skills needs.
Finally, with the attention on net zero carbon, it was agreed that collective action is needed in an industry which contributes 40% of carbon emissions, and this will require a concerted effort from the whole supply chain.
After the probing questions and robust responses, the audience was left in no doubt that the current ways of working are unsustainable and the key question for the industry is whether it is truly ready to do things differently. This presents a huge opportunity, with Build UK and its members well placed to offer the leadership and collaborative working environment that can deliver lasting change and transform construction into a world-class sector.
The Scottish Government is now consulting on retentions and appears to favour a statutory retentions deposit scheme (the link to the consultations is here). One option is supporting a statutory scheme to ring-fence the monies. The consultation closes on 25 March 2020.
Regarding the Aldous Bill, which has been calling for a retention in trust policy in England, this Bill lapsed prior to the autumn prorogation of Parliament, but a new and similar Bill is being championed in Parliament by Lord Mendelsohn.
In support of this work SEC Group has worked up a scheme that could be used to ring-fence cash retentions. SEC has been working as part of a consortium (involving a financial services company, a major insurer, a large tier 1 contractor and a software developer) and has now developed the structure for an IT platform that will support a retentions deposit scheme. This factsheet provides a simple explanation of how the scheme will operate. This will help to inform policy and future legislation.
Iain McIlwee CEO commented, “There is no place really for retentions in a modern industry, it is a blunt instrument that does little to manage quality and is more about penalising and adding risk to a fragmented supply chain and hence we support the zero retention policy of Build UK. It is clear that without an outright ban retentions will need to be phased out and a ring-fencing will at least introduce greater surety and transparency to the work – we are grateful to the SEC Group for sharing and welcome feedback from our own community on how we proceed.”
One-day workshop: Low-cost automation for SMEs – 26 February
Digital Construction on a Shoestring is an approach to increasing the digital capabilities of companies in the construction sector by deploying low-cost solutions one at a time.
Featuring interactive discussion and demonstrations, the event will showcase the Shoestring approach, which aims to rapidly accelerate digital use by reducing both the cost and complexity of solutions using off-the-shelf technologies and open source software.
The workshop is aimed at: • Manufacturing SMEs, trade associations and networks • Low-cost solution providers • Regional business councils • Manufacturing systems research groups
The workshop is being hosted at Cambridge University on 26 February and is free to attend – although places are limited. More information is available here.
FIS has been invited to speak at the NHBC’s event for house-building professionals, Building for Tomorrow. Now in its 29th year of bringing the latest insight and expertise to the industry, the series of eight regional roadshows are being held at venues across the UK from February to April.
This year’s theme is Managing Milestones, Meeting Expectations and Maximising Future Quality and it will see NHBC bring together a range of important topics in a tailored agenda for each roadshow. Speakers from NHBC and across the industry will share the latest technical and regulatory updates as well as providing insight into best practices.
FIS will discuss the subject of quality and how this can be managed along with clients expectations through a process from; writing a specification, agreeing a quality benchmark at the beginning of the build and inspecting the final work. The presentations will be delivered by FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia and FIS Technical Engagement Manager Nigel Higgins.
The Building for Tomorrow roadshows take place as follows:
Taunton Rugby Club, Taunton – 25 February 2020
Doubletree by Hilton Cambridge Belfry, Cambourne – 3 March 2020
Haydock Park Racecourse, Merseyside – 5 March 2020
Doubletree by Hilton Westerwood, Cumbernauld – 10 March 2020
York Racecourse, York – 12 March 2020
National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull – 17 March 2020
The Health and Safety and Environmental Manuals are produced using experts from across the industry, who give their time to producing leading sector publications on health and safety, and environmental issues. With the support of Build UK and it’s Trade Association members the Manuals aim to be the first port of call as to what good health and safety and sustainability in construction looks like, and FIS members now get 30% discount off all formats of the Manuals.
The Hardcopy/CDROM manual is updated twice a year, and the online version CIP Knowledge continuously, to ensure it provides the latest policy and best practice. In the latest version, we have:
• Setting Up on Site – a new Section of the Manual has been introduced to identify a number of the issues that need to be considered in order to minimise the environmental impact of the site establishment phase of a project. • Nuisance – the guidance on the registration and GHG emission limits of Non-Road Mobile Machinery within London is updated together with advice on the recognition of engine type approvals. Guidance on the avoidance of vandalism on sites is included. • A completely updated Temporary Works section following the release of BS5975:2019 in 2019. • Updated Piling and Electricity sections • A new draft drugs and alcohol policy and completely redrafted guidance. • A new legal register providing a summary of why a particular Act or Regulation is relevant to your business.
Also available free of charge is a bi-monthly environmental newsletter Insights and blogs from leading industry experts in their field.
Hardcopies and CDROM/USB versions can be purchased here and the online version at www.cip-knowledge.com. Free one month no obligation trials are available on the online version you just need to register. To ensure you get your 30% discount please use the Promotional Code BUILDUK.
Almost 10 million people in the UK today are deaf or have some degree of hearing loss, this figure is rising. There are strong links between hearing loss, anxiety and depression and even dementia and it is therefore no surprise that Occupational Deafness represents the highest volumes of Employer Liability Claims in the UK, in fact in 2015/2016 it represented more than all other claims in this category (including asbestosis, RSI, vibration and breathing issues) put together.
This webinar looks at the issue of occupational deafness and how we as employers can start to raise awareness of the issue and adopt safe working practices and ensure that the products, processes and people that we work with combine to deliver a safer culture.
“I never wore ear defenders when I was on the tools. I was invincible so didn’t need them right ? Errrrmm turns out nope, here I am 30 years later and suffer from tinnitus and hearing lose in my left ear. In 1994 my daughter was born deaf, she didn’t have a choice, I did but I knew better !!. What a plank. The young “invincible” guys are still out there but hopefully it’s becoming less acceptable to be so reckless.” Jim Hannon, Partner at LFS
This webinar is a collaboration between the British Safety Industry Federation and the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) and will be chaired by Alan Murray, CEO of the British Safety Industry Federation .
Our speaker is David Greenberg, CEO at Eave: David was inspired to establish Eave when practicing as an NHS Audiological Clinician when he realised he was treating the symptom and not the cause – over 46 million people in Europe work in dangerous noise levels. He founded Eave to develop and apply cutting edge technology to solve the global challenge of Noise Induced Hearing Loss. David holds a PhD in Auditory Neuroscience.
This webinar is being run in support of Tinnitus Week in 2020 (3-9 February 2020) For more information, please visit the British Tinnitus Association website https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/
FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia was delighted to be asked to join the Specifi 100 Voices speaker series at the Specifi London Interiors Roadshow event on Wednesday 5 February 2020. The event brings together 100 thought leaders and activists across the construction sector to explore how this climate and biodiversity emergency declaration can be turned into practical action, the obstacles that must be overcome, and the tools available to specifiers to move towards the net-zero future.
Joe presented on how office partitioning has developed over the years to meet the changing requirements and functions of people within offices, how technology has allowed new ways of working and enabled flexibility within the work force and manufacturers have reacted to this demand for flexible layouts by developing relocatable and not just demountable partitions, that can be reused and are designed for deconstruction.
The event was a great opportunity for us to update specifiers present about the best practice advice available from the FIS including the amazing vetted membership.
Following the launch of the CSCS’s new online application service on 9 December, the site has experienced some technical issues resulting in increased card processing times for some applicants.
Alan O’Neile, Head of Communications at CSCS said: “In most cases cardholders can apply online for their own CSCS card without any issues. These cards are generally processed and delivered within 3-5 working days.
“However, employers applying online for cards on behalf of their employees may be experiencing problems. CSCS is working hard to fix these issues and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
In the meantime, CSCS has issued some advice to assist with card applications:
Employer applications: There are several issues with the employer application process. These include:
Applications not saving
Missing applications
Cards not processed/delivered
Our team is working to resolve these issues. In the meantime, please apply as normal and your applications will be processed, and cards delivered within 10 days
Non urgent employer applications: If you are an employer and your applications are not urgent, CSCS request that you wait until the issues with the employer application system have been resolved. Your assistance here would be greatly appreciated.
Renewals: Several issues have been reported with the renewal of existing CSCS cards. CSCS recently confirmed the renewals issue is now resolved. Individual applicants wishing to renew an existing card can now proceed with their applications. Please note that there are some cards which cannot be renewed. For further information visit the New Not Renew webpage.
Photographs: All applications currently require a passport style photo to be submitted. This is a temporary measure that will be resolved soon.
When fixed, applicants will not be required to submit a photo. The photo taken during the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test will automatically be uploaded during the application process. CSCS will continue to keep the industry updated via their website and Twitter account.
Following the Scottish Government’s consultation – Practical fire safety for existing specialist housing and other supported domestic accommodation which closed in October 2019, they have now published new guidance – Practical Fire safety Guidance for existing Specialist Housing and other similar premises.
The Government had previously announced its intention to introduce a Fire Safety Bill which will put beyond doubt that the Fire Safety Order requires building owners and managers of multi-occupied residential premises of any height to fully consider and mitigate the risks of any external wall system and front doors to individual flats.
There are a number of risk factors which may impact the level of risk and the consequent priority for inspection and/or remediation. MHCLG is seeking a means to make these assessments and decisions based on them using a risk informed methodology.
To better understand risks in existing buildings MHCLG is starting a wide ranging research project to develop an evidence base on how to characterise and prioritise the risk within buildings and how best to prioritise action based on a broader understanding of risk.
This call for evidence seeks your views and supporting evidence to help define the scope of this research by providing in advance stakeholder evidence to help define the scope of this research by providing in advance stakeholder and industry views on approaches, tools and methodology that should be considered.
The winners of the 2020 FIS Fit-Out Futures Awards were announced on 4 February at Plaisterers Hall in London. The event, which was attended by some 300 FIS members and guests, is held annually to celebrate the outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals, who have demonstrated excellence, dedication and commitment to their personal development, organisation and the finishes and interiors community. There are four categories – Apprentice of the Year, Outstanding Employee, Future Leader and the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The judges said: ‘Kennya is showing great determination to succeed in a male dominated profession. The effort she applies to learning, coupled with her skill level and enthusiasm, is truly exceeding expectations. It was interesting to read how, not only is she inspiring other apprentices and peers, but inspiring her mentors to enjoy delivering training and up their game.’
Runner up: Lewis Round – Plastering Apprentice, Roseville Contracts
The judges said: ‘Lewis’ ability is a credit and he shows real determination to do a good job and further his own successful career – something that cannot be trained. His ‘can do’ attitude shines through and his speed, efficiency and willingness to learn is apparent. He also comes across as an incredibly pleasant young man.’
Outstanding Employee
Winner: Tony Waistell – Site Supervisor, Thomas Interiors Kindly sponsored by: SpecFinish
The judges commented: ‘ Tony’s loyalty, dedication and tenacity in a totally selfless capacity are to be commended. And the support shown to his colleagues is outstanding.
He appears to really care about his team and also appears to show the utmost dedication. We were particularly impressed on how he clearly takes his employees welfare seriously, an issue we know is incredibly important these days.’
Runner up: Lee Jones – Assistant Surveyor, Manorcraft Interiors
The judges said: ‘Lee has shown reliability, adaptability and attention to detail. He shows commitment to personal development and respect for his colleagues.
His commitment to the company, his role and ongoing training shines through, in terms of the quality outcomes achieved in his management of major profile projects.’
The judges commented: ‘Robbie is someone who is clearly very adaptable and shows great initiative in his own professional development. He communicates well and has gained respect within the team he already leads.’
Runner up: Lee Moore – Site Manager, Stortford Interiors (UK)
The judges said: ‘Lee has his eye on his own professional development and at the same time leads by example and has respect from his fellow workers.’
Julie has been heavily involved in the community and raising awareness of the sector to encourage young people to get into construction for many years.
Described as a natural leader and outstanding communicator, she is always on hand to offer advice and support to colleagues.
She is a well-known figure in the Kent Construction Community through their involvement with the Kent Construction Focus Group and the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.
She works tirelessly for many local charities and encourages young people to join our sector through local careers fairs, where she provides mock job interviews to boost confidence and encourage participation.
She has encouraged many to consider a career in construction and is an outstanding role model not just for these young people but for her own team, who recognise that her energy and commitment have contributed to the success of the company.
To see the photographs of the event head over to our Facebook page
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has today published its long-awaited report on salary thresholds for non-UK workers and a future points-based immigration system.
Industry was concerned that the future migration system would leave many ‘medium-skilled’ construction roles not eligible for skilled visas. Also, that the salary threshold of £30,000 for people to work in the UK under this visa was higher than what employers would typically pay. This at a time when Government is asking the construction industry to deliver ambitious housing and infrastructure targets.
FIS, CITB, BuildUK and a number of other trade groups including the FIS and the Construction Leadership have been engaging with government and the MAC on these issues over the past three years, including submitting a joint industry response to the review in November. Today, the MAC has recommended that the salary threshold be reduced to £25,600, with a range of new medium-skilled construction roles (more than any other sector) now recommended to be made eligible for the ‘skilled-visa’. These include:
carpenters and joiners
glaziers
window fabricators and fitters
plasterers
floorers
wall tilers
painters and decorators
construction and building trades supervisors
CITB Policy and Strategy Director Steve Radley said: ‘This is an important first-step for our industry and now we will wait to see the Government’s response to the report. It shows what we can achieve by working together and with good evidence. Interestingly, the MAC has also recommend that specific sector-based schemes should be re-examined for sectors with lower-skilled workers such as construction.
‘As a group we will continue to work together with government to ensure the future immigration system provides the breathing space to industry to grow the domestic workforce.’
BSI has issued the following statement concerning its continued membership of CEN & CENELEC who provide platforms for the development of European Standards and other technical specifications.
As the adoption of harmonised European Norms is agreed by the European commission, the UK Government are planning to adopt the use of a (UK Conformity Assessed) marking UKCA mark if there’s a no-deal Brexit. The UKCA is a new UK product marking that will be used for certain goods being placed on the UK market.
The UK is leaving the EU on 31 January 2020 and a transition period to negotiate a new relationship between the UK and EU will run from this date to the end of the year. BSI continues as a member of CEN and CENELEC and committee members will continue to participate as normal. The transition period will give the members of CEN and CENELEC time to update their statutes to reflect the UK’s departure from the EU. It is due to run until the end of December 2020 and the CEN and CENELEC Boards have proposed to extend it until the end of 2021. We confidently expect that BSI’s membership of CEN and CENELEC will continue following the update to the statutes.
Our Brexit page will be kept up-to-date and can be found using the link below.
CITB’s spring round of roadshows are planned between late March and May to allow communication with employers and also give insight into proposed levy rates following on from consensus this year.
CITB will also be launching its Future Made careers campaign as well as its new Mid-size Skills and Training fund (for companies up to 250 FTE). Support will be on hand for changes to Training Group Funding as well as its CTD system.
Total construction output in Great Britain is forecast to experience a slight decline of 0.3% in 2020, before a rise of 1.2% in 2021 according to the CPA Construction Forecasts January 2020. Political uncertainty and bad weather led to a slowdown in construction activity towards the end of last year, but the forecasts show little evidence to suggest that the General Election result will benefit the construction industry for the year ahead.
Whilst last year’s general election cleared up Brexit uncertainty for the near-term, certainty beyond the end of the implementation period from January 2021 continues to make large, up-front investments difficult to justify in areas such as prime residential, commercial offices and industrial factories. These high value sectors have seen falls in new orders since the 2016 referendum result, which has now started hitting activity on the ground. With the pipeline of work diminishing, there’s little in the form of new orders to replace projects completing in 2020.
The lack of clarity on the UK’s long term trading relationship with Europe explains why commercial offices and factories output is forecast to fall 4.0% and 10.0% respectively, following two years of decline in both sub-sectors. In addition, falling house prices in the south and softer growth in the north is affecting private house builder appetite to start new developments. Changes to the Help to Buy scheme from April 2021, which include restricting the scheme to first-time buyers and introducing regional price caps, are also expected to shift new builds away from higher value houses towards flats.
Despite an overall decline for construction output, the CPA’s Forecasts also show continued growth rates for the infrastructure sector, with major projects such as Crossrail, HS2, Hinkley Point C and Thames Tideway driving activity. Despite the review into HS2, work is already underway on initial contracts and the forecasts assume it will not stop. Although significant cost savings are likely to be needed on the project, the political importance of infrastructure in the North since the election result should not be underestimated. The construction of higher-value, automated warehouses continues to grow as well largely due to the wider structural shift towards e-commerce. With the associated decline of the high street, mixed-use developments led by a hotel or leisure facility with flats, shops and offices are emerging as a focus for future developments in town centres.
Commenting on the Winter Forecasts, CPA’s Economics Director, Noble Francis, said: “Construction activity has tailed off since last Summer with persistent rain affecting external construction. The main issue, however, was uncertainty, which hindered decision making, the signing of new contracts and new project starts on site.
“Looking at the year ahead, growth prospects for construction are fragile. Whilst the short-term certainty provided by a majority in the General Election does mean that day-to-day consumer spending will continue and a few more projects are likely to go ahead, further political and economic uncertainty beyond 31 December remains problematic for investment and activity. This is a particular issue in high value sectors such prime residential, office towers and factories, which require certainty to justify investment and where new contracts often take 12-18 months to feed into activity down on the ground.
“Prospects remain bright in areas such as warehouses and infrastructure. As ever though, government delivery of major infrastructure projects will be key to the fortunes of both the sector and the industry. Without this certainty, infrastructure activity is expected to remain flat and total construction output would be expected to fall by 0.9% this year.”
It has come to our attention that there is a potential issue where fire stopping is being installed around cPVC pipes.
Some fire stopping mastics have been found to react with the cPVC pipes leading to costly remedial work and disputes.
Our recommendation is where two or more systems come into direct contact, ensure that the system owners have been informed and that written evidence is supplied confirming their compatibility and long-term suitability.
Please contact FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia if you have any questions at joecilia@thefis.org
FIS maintains a technical team who work with the industry to set standards and to support members, specifiers and clients and works to raise quality in the sector. Full details and content can be found at www.thefis.org/knowledge-hub/technical/
Since the introduction of the Government Apprenticeship Levy in England, FIS has been listening to those affected and measuring the impact on a large part of its membership who are not required to pay the levy. It will come as no surprise to some of you, that access to local apprenticeship training provision was one of the major issues faced by a large proportion of members.
Part of the problem – sector training providers who would have normally educated your apprentices were put into two categories, levy paying and non-levy paying funded. The balance was heavily weighted towards levy paying access and it left many of our membership unable to access local provision.
As an intermediary organisation we have been reporting our sector finding to the National Apprenticeship Service and change is coming.
The Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) is expanding access to the apprenticeship service to employers who are not one of the existing 22,000 apprenticeship levy-payers using the service. This will be of enormous benefit to 80% of the FIS membership.
FIS Skills Engagement Manager Amanda Scott said: “What this means to our members is non-levy payers will now have greater ownership, visibility and involvement with apprenticeships funding and access to a wider range of high-quality training providers. Funds will be open allowing for three apprentices per company during the testing phase. This will mean that SMEs will be in greater control of the apprenticeships that they engage with and will be of enormous benefit to 80% of the FIS membership in England.”
We will continue to update you regularly but here is the latest from the National Apprenticeship Service.
The early transition – from now until March – will be an initial test phase, during which time we will undertake large scale testing, seeking feedback from smaller employers and training providers. During the transition in 2020 we will continue to run contracts with training providers so smaller employers have a choice around how they access apprenticeship funding, joining the apprenticeship service when they feel they are ready.
During the test phase, additional funding will be made available for up to 15,000 new starts through the service.
As we enable smaller employers to use the apprenticeship service, we are introducing the ability for them to reserve funds for training. This will allow us to forecast, monitor and manage apprenticeships funding within the overall budget for apprenticeships. To manage a gradual transition from contracted training provision to employers arranging their own apprenticeships through the apprenticeship service, employers will initially be able to reserve funding for up to three apprenticeships.
