3rd November 2009—AGM and Review of Progress 2005-09
 
The Group held its AGM to ensure the Group could continue to operate until the end of this Parliament.  Ray Horwood also presented a review of progress made by the Group, the industry and the NFRC since the APPG’s inception.  Ray covered the following areas:
• Recognition of quality contractors, including the Heritage Register, health & safety records and the forthcoming Competent Persons Scheme for Roofwork
• Apprenticeships
• Payment practices
• Solar power
 
Seb Berry, head of public affairs at NFRC member Solarcentury, gave the Group an overview of the development of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the UK, highlighting the huge opportunity that this technology offers in terms of carbon abatement and employment.  Seb explained the need for a bold feed-in tariff (FIT) that is set to deliver a rate of return of around 10% - not the 1-4% rate of return envisaged by the Government at present.

The Chairman, Stephen O’Brien MP, particularly welcomed the health & safety record of NFRC’s members and suggested that lessons be drawn from these successes for the benefit of other industries.
 

June 2009

In June 2009, the Group met to discuss Skills and Apprenticeship and we were delighted to have representatives from ConstructionSkills to speak about the work which we are doing in this area.  The MP’s and Peers present fully supported our view that apprenticeships need to be a mixture of classroom-based learning and practical learning with a qualified tradesman.  We were very fortunate that Baroness Sharp joined us for the meeting.  We held an extremely productive meeting with Lady Sharp earlier this year and she has tabled a number of amendments to the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill.  She updated those present on the progress of the Bill.

27th January 2009—Annual Lunch at the House of Commons

Phil Willis MP, Chairman of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee, was the guest speaker at the lunch, which was focused on skills and apprenticeships.  Mr Willis spoke of the need for further support for apprenticeships, which he felt should not just be aimed at 16-19 year olds but at all ages, particularly in the economic downturn as many seek to learn new skills. 
Mr Willis said that apprenticeships will play a vital role in the economy and both politicians and industry must do all they can to ensure measures are workable and affordable.  In the ensuing wide-ranging discussions, points raised included the need to define a skilled apprenticeship, the need for one agency (Sector Skills Councils) to oversee the programme and the need to educate the end user as to why they need to employ properly trained roofers. This could be further enhanced by encouraging links between insurance of companies and well trained apprentices.
 
                      
 
18th November 2008—AGM and discussion of health & safety pre-qualification schemes

The Group re-elected its officers and discussed the financial and administrative burdens of a multiplicity of overlapping pre-qualification questionnaires in the construction industry.  The NFRC, with RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) and the ECA (Electrical Contractors Association), presented their concerns that this was undermining the belief held by the industry that H&S adds value.  They are calling for:
• Government endorsement of a set of 12 core criteria (a benchmark for clients and contractors);
• recognition by all public sector clients of other compliant schemes, including those run by reputable trade organisations.
The core criteria, welcomed by the HSE, would ensure “portability” for a company’s proved competences.  Members of the Group subsequently tabled PQs on these criteria and on the cost to SMEs.
 
16th July 2008—Meeting on Building a Greener Britain

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) presented its Building a Greener Britain campaign, focusing on a report produced by Gavin Killip of the University of Oxford - “Transforming the UK’s Existing Housing Stock”.  The report sets out a strategy to make low-carbon refurbishment mainstream by incentivising SMEs, fostering multi-skilling and improving regulations. 
Recommendations include:
• improve the accuracy and reliability of EPCs;
• make information more widely available;
• permanently reduce VAT rates for RMI work;
• feed-in tariff for microgeneration technologies;
• private borrowing via “green mortgages”;
• long-term Government commitment to low-carbon refurbishment to encourage investment.
 
23rd Oct 2007—AGM and discussion of payment practices

In Jan 2007 the National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) launched a Fair Payment Campaign.  The APPG discussed this campaign and the Government’s Fair Payment Charter, launched by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).  Central government construction clients were expected to adopt the principles set out in the Fair Payment Charter from 1st January 2008.  Representatives from the roofing industry briefed the Group on the scale of the problem, including 75-day average waiting periods for full payment and large shortfalls due to the outdated practice of retention.  The NSCC explained the three pillars of its Fair Payment Campaign: certainty of payment, 30-day payment and an end to retentions.  The officers of the Group agreed to table PQs on the OGC’s progress and to write to the National House-Building Council (NHBC) and to the Home Builders Federation (HBF).