It was kind of Building to suggest that I might be suitable for the role of championing construction within the RICS (15 August, page 3).
I have no doubt Paul Morrell is much better equipped for the role and we at the Construction Industry Council welcome his appointment and look forward to working closely with him and his colleagues.

There is no need for a new Institute of Quantity Surveyors. There are already too many separate institutions and associations in the construction industry and one more would just be a step backward. What could it possibly achieve that the existing bodies cannot?

The manifesto asking for support for a new institute, issued by Knowles Commercial Services, seems to me to misunderstand the role of a professional institute and is, instead, promoting the establishment of a new trade association for quantity surveyors. There is already a Consultant Quantity Surveyors Association, which meets this specialist business need, in addition to the work carried out by the RICS. Why do we need another? We are quickly moving into an era of integrated teams and we need an integrated construction industry to underpin this way of carrying out our business. Will a new institute "to represent quantity surveyors" help or hinder the move towards an integrated construction industry? This is an interesting question for your readers to consider.

Whatever the motives for trying to establish this new institute, it gives the impression of ill-judged opportunism on behalf of Knowles Commercial Services. The circular seeking support for the initiative asks people to register their interest by emailing iqs@jrknowles.com, which tells its own story.