Opinion – Page 471
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CommentWannabe landlords kill neighbourhoods
We’ve achieved a lot in my three years as chief executive of the Housing Corporation, but there is much more to be done – in particular, tackling the buy-to-let menace
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Comment
That holiday feeling
Alastair Dale and Tom Potbury Statutory leave entitlements are to be brought into line with the European Working Time Directive. This means more holiday time for thousands of workers – but it’s worth reading the fine print before grabbing the bucket and spade
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Is this the place for an argument?
The Scottish Commercial Court is in decline. Some straightforward reforms can reverse that and revitalise a valuable part of Scotland’s legal landscape.
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CommentA curse upon ye
Scottish builders jinx Wembley by burying tartan scarves under the pitch, while Vernon Kay is forced to field hate mail from sensitive scaffolders. At least the Housing Corporation enjoyed a bit of luck ...
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Comment
Lets talk about this
I have been interested to read the responses from quantity surveyors to my letter published in Building (23 March, page 34).
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CSCS cards accepted here
As a card-carrying member of the CSCS fraternity, I was delighted to actually find a use for my black contract managers’ card recently: it is welcome as a form of identification when paying for goods by credit card in New York!
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Stick to the plan
Your article (13 April, page 13) was right to highlight the difficulties posed by local authorities having the autonomy to set their own standards for new homes.
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Qualifications what you need
I was interested to read the KPMG research into the shortage of qualified contractors (9 March, page 16).
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Bosses, commit to apprentices
Recent statistics showing a sharp fall in apprenticeships (www.building.co.uk, 29 March) surprised me because they are not reflected by the industry’s experience.
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CommentApocalypse cow
The only way we can save humanity from climate change is if we all pull together. But that’s not likely if bankers keep insisting on aircon, hedge funds keep looking for profit and cows keep … doing what cows do
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CommentWhat a mess!
Adjudication is being turned into an expensive and inefficient process by the proliferation of home-made procedures. So why isn’t the DTI doing something to stamp them out?
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CommentWeb watch — Recycle me
The back page this week is all about the production of the back page, a cutting-edge paperless process pioneered by Alex Smith. Now, if only we didn’t have to print 25,000 copies for you lot ...
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On your marks, get set ...
The NEC suite of contracts, as used by the London Olympics, contain some highly specific requirements concerning compensation events. It’s worthwhile paying attention to them now
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CommentConstruction’s movable feast
Fraud, theft and vandalism cost the industry more than £1m a day, with some of the stolen plant surfacing as far away as Australia. What can you do about it?
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End the Jurassic period
Just when we thought the Jurassic period was over, another dinosaur rears its head! Does Michael Brown (23 March, page 34) not realise that the world has changed and that the skills of cost consultants and quantity surveyors have never been more in demand? The market wants effective management of ...
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Comment
QSs around the world
I was surprised to read Michael Brown’s letter about the QS shortage. He is factually incorrect and trapped in a bygone age.