It’s now 25 years since the Construction Act received royal assent. I believe we are now due new legislation to curb continuing payment abuse and to fill the gaps left by the original act and its amendments. At my last count the past 15 years have witnessed about 30 reports, initiatives, codes, charters and even regulations to address some of the longstanding problems. None of these have made a significant difference.

In 2014 the government – through its offshoot the Construction Leadership Council – launched the Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter. This was backed, rather naively, by some industry bodies such as Build UK but has become wholly discredited. The charter promised 30-day payments by 1 January 2018. We’re still waiting.

Let me first provide some context for my proposal. The government is exhorting the industry to build back better, faster, greener and safer. All this demands a massive investment in higher-level skills, new technologies and innovative products. But, at this juncture, we are stepping into the realms of fantasy. The bulk of this investment is expected to come from SMEs in the supply chain, which are facing unprecedented cost pressures.

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