Coronavirus update for construction: 22 July

“Today marks the 75th Build UK update on coronavirus! As well as thanking all of you for reading and sharing our updates across the industry, I would like to say a huge thank you to the Build UK team which has worked tirelessly to produce every one. As Parliament begins its summer break today, we will be publishing updates on Tuesdays and Fridays from next week onwards. For those of you that haven’t had the chance to watch our short film, do take a moment to remind yourself just what the industry has been through over the last few months and how we can, if we really want to, transform construction.”

Suzannah Nichol, Build UK Chief Executive

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the draft Building Safety Bill, which sets out wide‐ranging measures to keep residents of high‐rise buildings safe. These include establishing a new Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to oversee more stringent rules for such buildings. Further information can be found in our latest Grenfell Update.

From 1 August 2020, the level of grant available under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be reduced each month. In August, employers will still be able to claim 80% of a furloughed worker’s wages; however, they will now have to pay National Insurance and pension contributions.

The deadline for submitting claims for furlough periods ending on or before 30 June is next Friday 31 July 2020. If you have over claimed through the scheme, you can repay your grant by either correcting it in your next claim or making a repayment to HMRC if you are not making another claim.

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published a cost assessment toolkit to help the industry assess and forecast the cost implications of disruption due to coronavirus, in order to make more informed investment decisions.

The way in which new apprenticeships are delivered will change from a framework to a standards model from 1 August 2020, and all employers in England will have to arrange their apprenticeships through the government's apprenticeship service from 1 April 2021. CITB is advising employers still using apprenticeship frameworks to plan their move to standards and set up an apprenticeship service account.

The CLC is hosting two webinars next week. The first is on managing disputes and costs on Monday 27 July from 2pm to 3pm and you can register online. The second is on the new construction talent retention scheme on Tuesday 28 July from 2pm to 3pm and you can register via email.

Businesses should continue to follow the most up-to-date government guidance and for the latest updates please follow Build UK on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any construction-specific queries or feedback on what is happening within the industry, please contact Build UK.