AUDIO NEWS: Government pours cold water on builder licensing plans and pothole repair work increases

Government says a builder licensing scheme will drive up costs, pothole prevention work jumps by 15% and four-year student wins plumbing prize

The government appears unlikely to support plans for a builder’s licensing scheme.

At a Westminster Hall debate about compulsory licensing for SME builders, Kate Dearden, minister for employment rights, and consumer protection at the Department for Business & Trade said, “there was no clear evidence that the existence of licensing schemes reduces the incidence of poor-quality work.” 

Dearden also warned that such a scheme could have detrimental effects, including increasing prices for consumers.

Speaking at the event, Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough suggested the government should first fix TrustMark, an existing scheme that was set up to ensure only qualified contractors worked on government funded programmes.

A 2018 FMB report, indicates that 77% of small builders are in favour of a licencing scheme.

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There has been a 15% increase in pothole prevention work in the last year.

Between April and September of this year, figures from the Road Emulsion Association indicate that 4,300 miles of road received preventative maintenance work.

The sale of bitumen emulsions for road surface dressing were also up by 25%.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said “these figures are a step in the right direction.”

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Taylor White has won the best apprentice plumber prize from the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF).

The fourth-year student from South Lanarkshire College impressed judges with his skill and talent.

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