The government is proposing a series of far-reaching reforms that it says are “aimed at enhancing safety, ensuring accountability, and fostering innovation and growth and therefore confidence across the construction sector”.
The green paper lays the foundations for a regulatory framework that the Government says “will meet the UK’s needs’, adding that, “Trust in UK construction products is vital to support economic growth, infrastructure delivery and our ambition of building 1.5 million new homes over this parliament. Retaining consistency between the UK regulatory framework and the revised European Union requirements, in line with objectives for reform, will contribute to achieving this outcome”.
Proposals span the breadth of the regulatory and institutional system. They set out how testing and certification will be strengthened and how the regulators will be equipped with enhanced powers and resources to effectively enforce regulations.
The green paper also makes clear that achieving these necessary changes will require significant, long-term effort from both government and industry to deliver confidence in a system that guarantees safe products, safely used.
The consultation closes at midnight on May 21st. You can view and/or respond to the Green Paper at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/construction-products-reform-green-paper