Paul Morrell and HBF’s John Slaughter among those to examine how targets can be hit

Leading figures from across the construction industry have joined the roster of a new government advisory committee set up to examine how to ensure zero-carbon home standards are met.

Communities minister Andrew Stunell announced the “urgent” creation of the panel in a speech at the Liberal Democrat conference last week, after accusing the housing industry of failing to meeting in practice energy efficiency standards required under building regulations.

The panel will consider how zero-carbon measures can be achieved ahead of the next upgrading of Building Regulations in 2013.

Building has learned that the committee will include Paul Morrell, the government’s chief construction advisor, and Jeremy Watson, chief scientific adviser to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Paul Everall of the Building Control Alliance (BCA) and Peter Bonfield of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) are among the industry figures appointed.

Stunell previously said the Zero Carbon Hub had provided evidence that zero carbon design standards were not being achieved post-completion. The organisation’s director David Adams has also been appointed to the committee.  

The Home Builders Federation (HBF), which last week took issue with the minister’s claims about poor performance by housebuilders, is also included with John Slaughter, the HBF’s director of external affairs, given a place.

The other members of the committee are:

Diane Marshall - Building Control Alliance (BCA)

Hywel Davies - Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

Jacqueline Crawford - Competent Persons Scheme (CPS) forum

John Tebbit - Construction Products Association (CPA)

Richard Diment - Federation of Master Builders (FMB)

Peter Caplehorn - Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

David McCullough - Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Dave Baker - The UK Contractors Group (UKCG)

Nick Starling - Association of British Insurers (ABI)

Ian Davis - NHBC Warranty Provider

Andrew Warren - Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE)

Kevin Davis - Centre for Accessible Environments (CEA)

David Strong - Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPFH)

David Adams - Zero Carbon Hub