Materials Supply - 3rd Quarter 2002 The second quarter 2002 survey recorded a very sharp rise, to an unprecedented level, in the proportion of FMB survey respondents reporting difficulties with materials supply, that was due entirely to the production difficulties encountered by the country's largest producer of plaster, British Gypsum, at its Barrow-on-Soar facility. If plaster was taken out of the calculation, the proportion was only a little higher than it had been in the first quarter, and lower than at any time in 2001. The commentary on the second quarter survey noted that "Press reports suggest deliveries [of plaster] to builders merchants may not be back to normal until the Autumn". Judging by the third quarter FMB survey results it seems that normal supplies had been very nearly restored by the end of September. Only 5% of respondents report delays of more than two weeks in obtaining plastering products, compared with 35% last time. As far as other products are concerned, the results this for the third quarter survey that 8% of firms (or 9% if replies are weighted by size of firm) say they are experiencing delays of between two weeks and two months, but only one out of the 300 firms taking part in the survey reports delays of more than two months. As in both the first quarter and second quarter surveys it is joinery products and facing bricks that are named most frequently, with the latter of these being the one product for which just the one firm reports delays of more than two months. Only three other firms report delays in obtaining bricks, whilst five cite joinery products. These are, once again, encouragingly low figures, given the buoyant state of trade. First posted: 28 October 2002. Last modified: 29 October 2002.