FMB Campaigns Update, March 2022

Membership of the FMB means you have a voice in Government. Our team is speaking up for Master Builders on the issues that matter the most to you. Here’s some of what we have been up to in recent months.

Reversing the decline of the SME House Builder

• Following a government reshuffle, the FMB welcomed the new Housing Minister, Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, to his new role and have a requested a meeting at his earliest convenience to discuss the issues facing SME housebuilders.

• The FMB have responded to an evidence request from the APPG For SME House Builders on skills and apprenticeships, making the case for greater support for employers that train and greater leadership from Government in promoting construction routes as high quality career paths.

• In response to the release of the Levelling Up White Paper, Brian Berry argued that the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund should be targeted at SME developers, who have been in decline since the 1980s.

• For members in Scotland, take a look at our FMB Scotland Director’s blog on the barriers and opportunities presented by the Scottish planning system, recounting his recent appearance at an online Scotland Policy Conference.

• Our FMB Wales Director recently attended a project working group for the Self Build Wales scheme, which looks to promote self and custom builds throughout the country.

• Responding to recently released planning data, our FMB Northern Ireland Director sets out the FMB’s perspective on what needs to change to make planning work for local builders.

Heightening standards and consumer protection within the building industry

• Progressing our campaign to establish a licensing scheme for UK builders, the FMB recently met with Paul Scully MP, the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets. We’ve provided additional information on licensing schemes to the Minister and were pleased that the Minister understood the rationale behind the campaign.

• For those in Wales, our FMB Wales Director recently appeared on BBC Wales’ X-Ray to promote the FMB’s insights into good consumer practice to avoid rogue builders (14:30).

• In Scotland, Paul McLennan MSP probed the Scottish Government on the steps that they were taking to increase consumer protection in the construction sector and whether they saw a mandatory licensing scheme as a mechanism for doing so.

Creating and promoting high quality skills and training

• To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (7– 13 February), we’ve been voicing our support for high-quality construction apprenticeships and training. Make sure to take a look at our National Apprenticeship blog post.

• Marking National Apprenticeship Week, FMB Chief Executive, Brian Berry, attended the APPG for Apprenticeships parliamentary dinner with Luke Emery, the Master Builder Apprentice of the Year. The dinner was Chaired by the Shadow Apprenticeships Minister, Toby Perkins MP, and discussions explored the great opportunities that apprenticeships provided.

• Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week in Northern Ireland, our FMB Northern Ireland Director gives an overview of the FMB’s work to promote construction apprenticeships in the country.
• Highlighting Scottish Apprenticeship Week (7–11 March), our FMB Scotland Director provides an outlook on construction skills in Scotland, alongside some FMB apprenticeship success stories.
• In Wales, our FMB Wales Director recently contributed to an Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) event on existing offers to learners between the ages 14 and 16. Promoting construction career routes to this age group is vital if we are to resolve the current skills shortages.

If you have questions regarding any of our campaigns, please get in touch with [email protected].