Commenting on the announcement that the construction industry has secured a sector deal as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, Dr Diana Montgomery, chief executive of the Construction Products Association (CPA), said: “The construction sector has great potential as a key enabler of UK economic growth, and given last week’s downgrade from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) for UK productivity, this takes on a greater urgency. The newly announced sector deal for construction will be crucial for the whole supply chain over the coming years, especially if we are to help government achieve its aims of building more homes and improving the UK’s infrastructure. In addition, given the risks around skills shortages and productivity weakness, we welcome government’s much-needed boost to improve digitalisation and construction skills. Critical to the success of any sector deal is leadership within industry through the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) to offer an effective contribution.
“The manufacturing and distribution of construction products has an annual turnover of more than £55 billion, providing employment for 330,000 people across 22,000 companies. The CPA strongly encourages government to ensure manufacturers and distributors are invited to make a more significant contribution to the CLC and that ultimately what has been announced today is not harmed by the Brexit transition period and the UK’s post-Referendum deal once it has been finalised. As nearly 80% of construction products used in the UK are made in the UK, this long-term view will give our industry the reassurance to invest in our sector.”
