The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury announced today that Dr Diana Montgomery, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, has been appointed to chair a new infrastructure Supply Chain Capacity and Skills group.
The group, which includes representatives from government departments, supply chain organisations and skills bodies, will provide expert guidance and work with government to recommend interventions that build capability and capacity and help mitigate inflationary pressures in the UK infrastructure sector.
Dr Montgomery said, “Over the next decade we expect to see record levels of investment in the UK’s infrastructure. It is in all of our interests to ensure that the costs of delivering this work are kept under control. I welcome the opportunity to work with colleagues from across the sector, ensuring that as an industry we deliver solutions to this important issue.”
In related news, the government announced it is launching a refresh of its joint programme with industry to reduce further costs and improve the delivery of infrastructure. This builds on the actions already taken by this government to support longer-term planning and funding of infrastructure investment.
This refreshed ‘Infrastructure Cost’ programme sets out a series of projects and actions to change the behaviour of government, clients and industry. It builds on the Infrastructure Cost Review programme which has already identified £3 billion of annual savings since 2010.
The new programme of work will address four key themes - Improving pipeline visibility and certainty; Improving project initiation and procurement; Whole life planning and cost control; and Supply chain skills and construction delivery.
The government, through the Commercial Secretary and IUK, will work with the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG) to deliver this programme. The group will report to the Commercial Secretary on progress next autumn.
ENDS
NOTE TO EDITORS:
- The Construction Products Association represents the UK’s manufacturers and suppliers of construction products, components and fittings. The Association acts as a single voice for the construction products sector, representing the industry-wide view of its members. The sector has an annual turnover of more than £40 billion and accounts for over 1/3 of total construction output.
- The Government published its Infrastructure Cost Review report in December 2010. It identified a number of drivers for the higher cost of construction in the UK and a plan to address these.
- The Infrastructure Cost Review: Measuring and Improving Delivery report (July 2014) describes progress over the three year implementation programme. The report sets out evidence of improvements in collaborative behaviours that support better delivery outcomes. Over £3 billion per annum of cost savings have been measured, improving the cost effectiveness of infrastructure by over 15 per cent.
- The report sets out four key themes for the next steps of the infrastructure cost programme consistent with the ICG Work programme being launched today.
- A key success of the Cost Review programme has been the Infrastructure Client Group. This group of key infrastructure clients, previously chaired by Simon Kirby and now chaired by Andy Mitchell, CEO of Thames Tideway Tunnel, has played a vital role promoting and sharing best practice across sectors. The government, through the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury and Infrastructure UK, will work with the Infrastructure Client Group to strengthen further its remit and ability to help drive delivery improvements and report on progress.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff May
Marketing and Communications Manager
Construction Products Association
Tel: 020 7323 3770
Mobile: 0790 447 6166
E-mail: jeff.may@constructionproducts.org.uk
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