4th Quarter 2001 - Materials Supply If there is no weighting of replies by size of firm, the proportion of all respondents to the FMB's fourth quarter 2001 survey reporting delays of more than two weeks but less than two months in obtaining supplies of materials, including five small firms suggesting delays of this order in the supply of materials generally, is again slightly higher than in the preceding survey, up from 11% to 13%. If replies are weighted, however, the movement is slightly the other way, down from 14% to 12%, with relatively fewer larger respondents indicating delays. These may still be regarded as relatively very modest proportions, given the continuing rise in the workload of small and medium-sized building firms, which appear to be being well served generally by both the manufacturers and the distributors of building materials and products. Once again, the most common concern is over the supply of joinery products, but this is almost matched this time by the level of reports of difficulty in obtaining bricks, especially certain types of facing bricks, within two weeks. By comparison, the number of firms indicating delays in excess of two months in obtaining materials has slipped back from 11 in the third quarter survey to only four this time. After weighting of replies by size of firm, these firms are equivalent to just 2% of the total response. Two of the four firms cite delays in obtaining windows. The reports of delays in obtaining materials are spread across all regions except Wales. The West Midlands stands out, however, as the region from which the largest proportion of reports of delays has been received, amounting to around a third of the UK total. First posted: 1 February 2002. Last modified: 4 February 2002.