Construction minister Brian Wilson addressed a packed audience at the ECA's annual dinner, calling for a break from adversarial attitudes, improved site safety and an end to lowest price culture.
Construction minister Brian Wilson has made it clear that the government wants to see best whole life value not lowest tender cost as the basis for construction procurement, with government itself, be it local, national or agencies, becoming best practice clients.

Speaking at the annual dinner of the Electrical Contractors' Association, the minister called for a complete break with the past. "We need to move away from the industry's confrontational, adversarial culture. The whole supply chain must learn that squeezing prices or completion dates too hard, results in corner cutting and shoddy work, more deaths, more injuries and ill health, and consequential legal and contractual disputes," said Wilson.

The minister urged the electrical contracting industry to consider maintenance and running cost issues at the design stage, to look at how integrated supply teams can be set up at the outset of a project, and how benefits are accrued through partnering arrangements. "Best value is the hard option, but the potential is great," said Wilson.

Wilson also praised the ECA's ZAP safety initiative in the Government's drive to see the construction industry shake up its "unacceptably poor" health and safety record. "The industry really must drive through a programme of reform and transform the way it works…genuinely turning concern into action."

  • An abridged version of the speech given by ECA president Ian Crosby at the annual dinner appears on pages 12-13.