Addressing members attending the National Federation of Builders Large Contractors Forum, the Construction Minister Nadhim Zahawi said that he was looking to bring forward infrastructure projects to support the construction sector’s economic recovery, after the COVID-19 crisis.
After speaking of the Government’s recent announcement to proceed with HS2, the Minister said: “I’m talking to other departments to see what projects we can accelerate or bring forward because in terms of incentivising growth, infrastructure is going to be important and the Government’s commitment to infrastructure is going to be important”.
Responding to questions from contractors, the Minister also explained that the Government was keeping its options open when it came to dealing with the fall-out from the crisis, such as potential contractual disputes:
“We will keep under review all the interventions to make sure that as we move to a different profile of how businesses operate, as we come through this crisis, that we are able to respond in a way that can help businesses”.
The Large Contractors Forum took place on 22 April 2020 and saw the largest contracting members of the NFB attend an online conference and discussion. The conference heard from a range of policy professionals and speakers on sector qualifications, training and skills, best practice and building for the future.
Commenting on the LCF, Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB said: “The forum was a great opportunity for our members to put their very real concerns to the people who make decisions for the future of our industry, at what is perhaps the most critical juncture in our sector’s history. The Minister’s words came as necessary reassurance that Government is planning for recovery and we stand ready to assist wherever we can”.
The Large Contractors Forum was kindly sponsored by B&CE, CITB, City and Guilds, Considerate Constructors and OpenECX.
Members of the NFB can watch the full webinar in the members’ area of the website.
