The Queen gave her annual speech today [11 May], where she announced plans for the country, including upskilling for the future and the introduction of a building safety regulator.
“My government’s priority is to deliver a national recovery from the pandemic that makes the United Kingdom stronger, healthier and more prosperous than before,” she said.
“Legislation will support a lifetime skills guarantee to enable flexible access to high quality education and training throughout people’s lives.”
“My Ministers will establish in law a new Building Safety Regulator to ensure that the tragedies of the past are never repeated [Building Safety Bill].”
“My government will invest in new green industries to create jobs, while protecting the environment. The United Kingdom is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and will continue to lead the way internationally by hosting the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.”
Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, James Talman, chief executive of the NFRC, said: “It is very welcome to see such a big focus on training and upskilling in the Queen’s Speech. If we are to build, build, build, our industry needs skills, skills, skills, but over half of roofing contractors are struggling to find the people they need. The government should work in collaboration with industry to ensure this bill targets funds to the right areas, aligned to the government’s commitment to build 300,000 homes a year and reach net-zero carbon emissions.
He added: “I was also pleased to see confirmation of the Building Safety Bill in the Queen’s Speech. Passing this legislation should be the highest priority for government. They should accept the recommendation of the Housing Select Committee to ensure the bill provides a robust system of third-party accreditation and registration for design and construction professionals.
James concluded: “The ambitious net-zero targets set out in the Queen’s Speech must now be followed up with tangible and realistic policies to achieve this. The government should use the upcoming Heat and Buildings Strategy to set out a long-term plan to retrofit the millions of homes and commercial buildings in the UK. We must avoid the short-term thinking we saw with the Green Homes Grant.”
Meanwhile, Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), commented: “I wholeheartedly welcome the government’s renewed commitment to achieving net zero in today’s Queen’s Speech. But it urgently needs to back a long-term plan to retrofit our 28 million energy inefficient homes if we are to have a hope in making this commitment a reality. The Construction Leadership Council’s National Retrofit Strategy provides an ‘oven-ready’ blueprint for how this can be achieved, and I would urge the government to consider its recommendations in full if it wants to position the UK as a global leader in tackling climate change ahead of COP26.”
On skills, Brian continued: “Crucial to the long-term certainty builders need is a robust commitment to training, and so I look forward to the detail of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill that will deliver the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Skills shortages in construction have become endemic, with a third of builders routinely struggling to hire bricklayers and carpenters.
“If we are to truly build back better and tackle significant issues such as climate change, then enhancing the UK’s skills and training environment is imperative. Improvements must seek to strengthen the links between employers and colleges, and encourage more employers to train. In the construction sector, local SME builders train 71% of all construction apprentices and must be at the heart of these plans.”
On planning, he concluded: “We won’t build the homes we need if we fail to diversify the housing market and reverse the decline of SME house builders, who built 40% of all new homes in the 1980s but only build 12% today. So, the government’s commitment to an updated planning system through the Planning Bill is good news.
“While greater flexibility, simplicity, and responsiveness are needed to tackle the barriers that 48% of small builders face with the planning system, we must not compromise the quality of the homes we build. New measures that make the planning system quicker and more affordable are welcome, but it is vital that high standards in design and build are not affected as a result, and that any overhaul doesn’t in fact add further delays.”
