News
Prompt payment threshold to be increased from April
The prompt payment threshold for suppliers bidding for Government contracts above £5 million per annum will be increased again from 1 April 2022. In accordance with updated Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 08/21, suppliers will be required to show that they pay 90% of...
Forum changes name to Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV)
After nearly two years dedicated to steering the Scottish building sector through the worst crisis in its history, the Forum has changed its name to reflect its expanded remit and ongoing collaborative vision for the future. The unique alliance of trade associations...
A quick round-up of what the new COVID Guidelines mean to you
Updated 11 January 2022 - changes to testing requirements - new flowchart issued by BuildUK. The UK faces a new COVID challenge at the start of 2022 with evidence pointing to a highly transmissible, but thankfully less severe strain. With the highest level of...
New Plastic Packaging Tax
From April 2022, if you manufacture or import 10 or more tonnes of plastic packaging within a 12 month period, you may need to register for the tax. You need to register for the Plastic Packaging Tax if you’ve manufactured or imported 10 or more tonnes of finished...
UK Government Notice to WTO sets down future for Construction Products Regulation
The UK Government has notified the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of their intention to bring into force the Construction Products Regulations 2022. The document correspondence provides a useful update of the intent and...
Stark Warning in Government Response to FIS on Building Safety Blame
Government has made it clear that it is lining up changes to the Defective Premises Act and Section 38 of the Building Act 1984 to ensure the construction sector is "held to account for building safety issues". In a letter to FIS, the Department for Levelling Up,...
Government introduces temporary change to fit notes
The government has introduced temporary changes to the rules on the requirement for employees to provide proof of sickness to try to reduce the workload of GP’s as they focus on the booster vaccination programme. Where an employee goes off sick on or after 10 December...
New CSCS Smart Check app to revolutionise card verification procedures
A new app, developed by the 38 card schemes displaying the CSCS logo, is set to radically improve the construction industry’s card checking procedures and site safety. The CSCS Smart Check app represents a major step forward as, for the first time, all 2.1 million...
Regulation Update: All new buildings to produce nearly a third less carbon
New buildings in England will have to produce significantly less CO2 under new rules announced by the government to help the country move towards net zero. Under the new regulations, CO2 emissions from new build homes must be around 30% lower than current standards...