An industry torn apart?

The election itself may have gone fairly unnoticed but what followed afterwards, with the reorganisation and formation of entirely new governmental departments, resulted in one of the most memorable cabinet reshuffles for decades. The effects of the changes on the construction industry could be likened to an earthquake – with aftershocks being felt for many years.

The first and most obvious concern is that there is no longer a minister for construction in the Government. This follows the sector's move from the now redundant Department for Environment Transport and Regions (DETR) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

It raises the question of who is directly responsible for driving the industry forward? Prior to the election that duty fell to Nick Raynsford (the new minister for local government) who may have had his critics, but was without question dedicated to improving the industry and keenly supported Egan.

That challenge now falls to the new energy and industry minister Brian Wilson. Following his appointment, Wilson was quick to offer the sector reassurance that the move would not change the objectives of Egan: "As a priority I shall be talking to Sir John Egan about setting up the machinery he needs to fulfil the remit".

At present the move has be welcomed by the industry. The external affairs director of the Construction Products Association (CPA) Jean Emblin explained: "We were pressing for such a move in the run-up to the election and are obviously pleased with the news. We believe it will give a greater industry focus to the CPA's sponsorship in government."

She also emphasised the need to work closely with other departments, which highlights a second cause for concern regarding the separation of those involved in the industry and those charged with forming industry regulations. The reshuffling of departments has seen the responsibility for driving the construction industry forward left to the DTI, while the Building Regulations, essential for ensuring sustainability and an integral part of the Rethinking Construction philosophy, is being entrusted to the newly formed Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR).

The Building Regulations have been joined at the DTLR by the Fire Regulations in a move that has been well received by the industry. David McCullough, chairman of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Building Control Forum explained: "The move drives forward the Government's wish to involve all the parties, hopefully enabling a truly integrated approach towards building regulation." There are also proposals for the inclusion of electrical safety issues. Part P Electrical Safety proposes that electrical installers should self-certify installations. This could have a dramatic knock-on affect on services engineers, who could find they are soon faced with a similar responsibility.

The Government has promised more action from its second term and has certainly started in determined fashion. We wait to see if the reshuffle can further the good progress made by the industry in recent years.