Contract management:Updated standard form set

Hard services such as maintenance are to be included for the first time in the new standard form of contract for facilities management, to be launched by construction body CIOB at October's FM Expo in London.

At the Facilities Management Legal Update Conference in Birmingham, Marc Hanson, senior solicitor at CMS Cameron McKenna and author of the contract, said the new version would offer a clearer outline of hard facilities services, such as maintenance of building fabric. It would also contain more detail on TUPE, the rules governing the transfer of staff.

Hanson told delegates to the conference, organised by Asset Information, 'This version will reflect changes in the law and will be amended to reflect feedback from users.'

He said there was a desire to make the new version less confrontational, while the section on TUPE would be completely rewritten.

The CIOB contract was the first standard industry contract for facilities management (see TheFB, September 2000, page 45). Hanson said one of its 'faults' was that it had been designed for soft services, such as cleaning and security, and was 'not so suitable for hard services'. He said the new version of the form, first published in 1999, would be ready this summer.

Also speaking at the conference was Paul Davidson, director of building research body BRESCU. He warned delegates about spiralling energy bills under the climate change levy, due in April – a typical business with a £40,000 energy bill could expect to pay an extra £4,000 after April, and a larger business using £200,000 today would be looking at an extra £25,000.

Jonathan Bamford, assistant information commissioner heading the Law Enforcement, Justice and Inspections Compliance Group, also used the conference to raise concern over the lack of regulation of CCTV.