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2012 Press releases

Press releases related to local News stories can be found in the relevant FMB regional section under News.
 

  • SME House Builders Can Help Tackle the Housing Crisis, says FMB Wales
    SME House Builders could help tackle the housing crisis says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Wales in response to the Welsh Assembly Government's Housing White Paper.
  • A Bigger Tax Burden will Damage All our Listed Buildings says FMB
    Until the Government drops its plans to add 20% VAT to listed building alterations from 1st October, the UK's heritage is still at risk. On the day the consultation on this VAT increase closes, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) wants the Government to look beyond churches and recognise the value of all listed buildings.
  • Paying cash for building jobs costs homeowners £260 million a year
    Last year homeowners were duped out of £260 million by dodgy builders doing slapdash work, according to research to launch the Master Builder of the Year Awards.
  • SME House Builders Can Help Tackle the Housing Crisis says FMB
    The 11% fall in house building starts in England since the end of last year demonstrates the seriousness of the current housing crisis and the need for the Government to do more to enable small house builders help solve the problem, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK's largest trade association in the building industry.
  • Flexibility for Small Business Employers is Key to Economic Success says FMB
    Court and tribunal reforms outlined in today's Queen Speech offer hope to small business employers who need greater flexibility to run their businesses more competitively and so help job creation, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK's largest construction trade association.
  • VAT Hike for Listed Buildings is a Further Break on Economic Recovery
    A broad coalition of organisations has written to the Chancellor urging him not to press ahead with a 20% increase in VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings. Seventeen organisations including the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Federation of Master Builders, the Heritage Alliance and the Royal Institute of British Architects have signed a letter describing the disruption the Budget measure is already causing to planned building projects and the threat it poses to the future of the UK's histo
  • Construction Holds the Key to Economic Recovery says FMB
    The Government needs to introduce a wide range of reforms to stimulate the construction sector if it is to get growth back in the economy, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to today's disappointing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures issued by the Office for National Statistics.
  • Workloads for SME House Builders Worst on Record, says FMB Scotland
    New build workloads for small house builders in the social housing market are at their lowest level since 1999, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in its latest State of Trade Survey, the only one of its kind looking at small and medium sized (SME) companies in the construction sector.
  • Proposed Building Rules Will Cost Homeowners Thousands, warns FMB
    Government plans to force homeowners to spend thousands of pounds extra on green home improvements when they extend their homes will be impractical, unpopular and counterproductive, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
  • Workloads for SME House Builders Worst on Record says FMB
    New build workloads for small house builders in the social housing market are at their lowest level since 1999, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in its latest State of Trade Survey, the only one of its kind looking at small and medium sized (SME) companies in the construction sector.
  • Build Assure Offers 10 Year Warranties on New Homes
    House building companies of any size can now, for the first time, offer a 10 year warranty on the new homes they construct as Build Assure, a subsidiary of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the largest trade association in the UK construction industry, today launches Build Assure New Home Policy.
  • TrustMark Widens It's Membership To All FMB Members
    The Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK's largest construction trade association, is inviting all its members to join TrustMark, the Government endorsed quality mark, which helps consumers to find reliable and trustworthy local tradesmen. Previously TrustMark was only available to FMB Build Assure members.
  • Cut the VAT on housing repair and maintenance to protect our heritage, says Kevin Stewart MSP
    Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart has urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut the VAT on housing repair, maintenance and improvement work to support employment in Scotland, tackle rogue traders and to protect our built heritage.
  • FMB Calls for Responsible Approach on Planning Reform
    The Government's new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), launched today, risks being undermined if local authorities do not adopt a responsible approach to planning reforms, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
  • Protect your investment in your home by visiting Build Assure at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show
    Build Assure - Protect Your Investment in Your Home by Visiting the Build Assure Stand at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show
  • Budget Misses Opportunity to Offer More Help to Small Construction Firms Desperate to Grow says FMB
    The Chancellor could have done more to restore consumer confidence and encourage spending in order to support key policy initiatives such as the Green Deal energy efficiency programme and a major increase in the number of new homes, argues the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the 2012 Budget Statement.
  • Banks Lending Criteria Might Threaten Chancellor's Lending Initiative, warns FMB
    The Chancellor's initiative to boost small business lending could be jeopardized if banks are allowed to continue to discriminate against certain industrial sectors such as construction that they consider to be too risky, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
  • Additional Money for House Building Needs to be Coupled with Cuts in Red Tape says FMB
    The Prime Minister's announcement of an additional £150 million for stalled building sites is a welcome boost to the struggling building industry but needs to be coupled with cuts in red tape that are stifling small house builders, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
  • FMB Welcomes Government Help for First Time Buyers
    The Government's 'NewBuy' mortgage indemnity guarantee scheme which aims to provide higher-value mortgages for first time buyers is a welcome boost to the housing market, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
  • Green Deal Cash for Skills Training Needs a Consumer Market, says Federation of Master Builders
    New government funding to train hundreds of people in greens skills ahead of the Green Deal launch is very welcome but unless there is consumer demand for the Green Deal there is the danger of training people with no future work, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to today's announcement from the Deputy Prime Minister.
  • Federation of Master Builders Appoints Brian Berry as Chief Executive
    The Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK's largest trade association in the building industry, has appointed Brian Berry as its new Chief Executive.
  • FMB Urges Chancellor to Focus Budget on Help for the Housing Market
    George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, needs look to housing to support the Government's growth and jobs agenda in next month's Budget, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
  • Stephen Williams MP takes on Apprentice Role to Support Builders in Bristol
    Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West, has been spending time with a local building firm to find out more about life as an apprentice. Stephen met two carpentry apprentices from Federation of Master Builders (FMB) member firm Distinction Property Services Ltd, in conjunction with CITB-ConstructionSkills.
  • Win a Building Rescue Worth £10,000
    Make Mine a Builders, the only tea tested and approved by builders, and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the largest trade association in the UK building industry, have teamed up to give one deserving person or community group a building make over worth £10,000.
  • FMB and Jason McCartney MP take on Apprentice Role to Support Builders in Huddersfield
    Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney has spent the day learning the building trade the practical way to help celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2012. Jason became an 'apprentice' for the day with Federation of Master Builders' (FMB) member company Peter Armitage Ltd in Huddersfield.
  • Training as an Apprentice is the Best Way to Learn a Trade
    Training as an apprentice is the best way to learn a trade, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). A survey carried out by the FMB of its members in the run up to National Apprenticeship Week 2012, which takes place between 6th and 10th February, found the apprenticeship tradition was alive and strong among small construction firms.
  • Federation of Master Builders takes on Apprentice Role to Support Builders in Eastern Counties
    To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Regional Director, Helen Osgood, spent the day learning the trade the practical way by being an apprentice for the day with FMB member building company Princebuild Ltd in Peterborough.
  • Federation of Master Builders takes on Apprentice Role to Support Builders in the North East
    To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Regional Manager, June Davidson, spent the day learning the trade the practical way by being an apprentice for the day with FMB member building company Macoun Construction in Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • The Government Must Tackle the Cash Economy by Cutting VAT on Home Improvements, says FMB
    Consumers should avoid being tempted by a cheap cash deal and protect themselves against paying more in the long term, says the FMB in response to comments by the HMRC Permanent Secretary in today's Telegraph.
  • Government must back construction to revive economy says FMB
    The Government must make construction a priority, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), largest trade association in the construction industry, in response to the latest GDP figures released by the ONS today, which show that construction and manufacturing have dragged the economy back into negative growth.
  • Green Deal Needs a Radical Boost to Succeed, warns FMB
    The Government's Green Deal initiative to makes our homes more energy efficient is in danger of failing at the first hurdle unless it provides a range of additional incentives to encourage householders to take it up, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in its response to the Government's Green Deal consultation, which closes on Wednesday (18th January 2012).
  • Collapse in Building Industry Confidence, warns FMB
    Confidence in the building industry has collapsed with only 5% of small building companies expecting workloads to increase in 2012, according to the latest State of Trade Survey from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), the UK's largest construction trade association.
  • 22% of Small Building Firms Shed Jobs Because of VAT Hike, Warns FMB
    More than one in five small building firms report being forced to cut jobs as a direct result of last year's VAT increase to 20%. In addition, more than half of these small businesses reported falling workloads as a consequence of the VAT hike. These are the findings from the Federation of Master Builder's (FMB) latest State of Trade Survey, the only independent quarterly survey of economic conditions for small and medium-sized construction firms operating predominantly but not exclusively in the domestic..

 

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