Trade bodies such as the CPA have long complained that the EU and UK government impose new legislation with no regard to the financial impact it will have on construction firms. The legislative morass affects manufacturers’ competitiveness in the world market, they argue, and builders are faced with ever spiralling costs as they are forced to comply with newly revised Part E, M and L in quick succession.
It now looks as though the government will help the construction industry digest all this Alphabetti Spaghetti. It has set up the Construction Industry Policy and European Regulation forum to consult with industry groups on the likely impact of upcoming regulations.
CIPER is sponsored by the Regulatory Impact Unit of the Cabinet Office and is likely to look harmonising the introduction of European Directives and overlapping UK regulations such as those covering health and safety and building.
It consists of industry bodies including the Construction Industry Council, the Construction Products Association and the Construction Client’s Group, and government departments such as the DTI and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The groups involved in CIPER are optimistic about its potential to smooth the implementation of new legislation. Chris Morley, executive director of the Construction Clients Group says that CIPER has been told by Blair and Brown to reduce the burden of regulations on construction.
Among others there is conflicting opinions about the CIPER. Rudi Klein, chief executive of the Specialist Contractor’s Group is very positive. “At last the construction industry won’t be surprised by the government’s policy announcements,” he says. “There can now be joined up thinking about how policy and regulations from competing government departments are going to affect the construction process.”
Peter Rogers, chairman of the strategic forum, is wary of CIPER’s plans – in part because he was not there at the body’s inception. “It worries me hugely that these bodies are being set up without any consultation with the existing bodies,” he grumbles. “I have to say it’s very disappointing.”
Graham Watts, chief executive of the CIC does offer some reassuring words on the subject. He says in Building this week that the strategic forum never had regulatory issues within its remit and he anticipates that issues will be dealt with in much more detail at CIPER.
Whether CIPER will have time to ease the burden of the next raft of legislation is doubtful, but in three or four years time there should be more joined up thinking between government and industry. The next challenge will be to set up a talking shop with the EU, which often speaks a different legislative language to the governments of member countries.
