Welcome to Buildings new economic panel. We have assembled a panel of experts to help make sense of these fast moving and uncertain economic times. They will regularly comment on economic developments as they unfold and give an insight into what these might mean whether it's and event as big as today's budget or a simple increase in the price of plastic piping. We have chosen budget day, the biggest day in the economic calendar to launch our panel. Our regular contributors are:

Maren Baldauf-Cunnington is a construction economist with cost consultant Davis Langdon. She is based out in Dubai and is ideally positioned to give up to date comment on events in the region as well as the rest of the world.

James Hastings is head of construction at the market intelligence side of business information specialist Experian.

Noble Francis is economics policy development director at the Construction Products Association.

Graham Kean is the head of public sector at cost consultant EC Harris.