News
Fine margins: delivering financial sustainability in UK construction?
A new report by the CBI provides interesting insight into the health of the UK construction sector. Whilst it highlights that the construction industry is a vital part of the UK economy, it reinforces that the business models that underpin this are breaking. The...
FIS writes to Chancellor ahead of Budget 2020
Ahead of the 2020 Budget, FIS, the representative body for the finishing and interiors sector has written to the new Chancellor, Rt hon Rishi Sunak MP. In this letter FIS welcomes the new Government's focus on the Constructor Sector Deal, but cautions that legacy and...
Qualifications body reports on changing skills market
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has produced a report looking at the changing skills landscape in construction, including the role virtual reality (VR) could play in assessment. The report points out that a high proportion of the industry’s workforce is...
Build UK benchmarking drives improved payment performance
Build UK has published the latest payment results submitted by its members under the Duty to Report on Payment Practices and Performance, which continues to drive greater transparency across the construction sector and is leading to improved payment practices....
Government seeks views on import tariffs
DIT Consultation on WTO Import Tariff 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...
Scottish Apprenticeship Week – 2-6 March
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...
Build UK’s Any Questions? Brings fresh focus to industry issues
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...
Protection of Retention Monies
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...
Digital construction on a shoestring
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...