Shadow Construction Minister, Henry Bellingham, promised an incoming Tory Government would provide a new 'Fair Deal for Construction' to remove the burdens imposed by Labour over the last seven years and to restore the loss of influence the industry had suffered at the heart of Government.
Small construction companies have recently been targeted with an IR35-like approach by the Revenue. This adds to a number of regulations affecting the construction industry.
....a pledge to reverse the tide of legislation
Henry Bellingham - Shadow Construction MInister
Speaking at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) National Conference at Torquay, Henry Bellingham offered a pledge to reverse the tide of regulation, with a commitment to slash Government interference in business.
Bellingham stated that a new Tory administration would do this by making deep cuts into the DTI, reviewing and repealing the wave of legislation on employment, imposing a cap on employment tribunal awards, ending the 'gold plating' of EU directives and inserting 'sunset clauses' into primary legislation so that it automatically lapses if not used.
His promise to set up a working group to specifically to review the arguments that FMB has developed in favour of a reduction on VAT on repair, maintenance and improvement work. "The arguments in favour of a reduction are very powerful and the Treasury will need to give them serious consideration," said Bellingham.
The shortcomings of the PFI initiative and the trend for framework agreements and partnering with larger contractors, to the exclusion of smaller local firms, was also flagged up as area for action by a future Tory administration.
Replying to Bellingham's commitments, David Croft the incoming FMB National President pledged that FMB would work with any new Tory Government to develop workable policies that would help lift the burden of regulation from the thousands of small and medium sized building firms that make up the vast majority of the industry.
Source and Full Article:Shout 99