17 Dec Government Fails To Back Legislation To Curb Cowboy Builders
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has described the government’s failure to back legislation for the licensing of domestic building companies as ‘disappointing.’ Conservative MP Mark Garnier put forward a Private Members Bill, which was designed to prevent homeowners from hiring rogue builders.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “While the Government’s failure to back the Domestic Building Works (Consumer Protection) Bill is disappointing, its commitment to work with stakeholders and industry and find a solution to stamp out cowboy builders is at least welcome news.”
He continued: “It simply can’t be right in a modern economy that anyone can call themselves a builder without any form of licensing or registration to check they are competent. This is not only a serious question of consumer protection, but also one of promoting economic growth in the building industry.”
A survey found that 77% of SME building firms backed the idea of a licensing scheme, and it has cross party support in parliament. Not only would it protect consumers, but it would also level the playing field for professional builders, who find that rogue cowboy firms take custom from them, by offering fees which are lower than the work is worth.
The Bill was applicable for all builders undertaking domestic work in England. RPC reports that the regulations would also have included fines for operating without a licence, and sanctions for breaching the licence terms. An ombudsman service was also proposed, to resolve any disputes between customers and license holders.
However, construction minister Lee Rowley failed to support the Bill, and didn’t offer any clear reasons why. He did say that the government accepted that there was an issue in the industry, but wasn’t sure if licensing was a proportionate response. A mandatory disputes resolution scheme is being considered however, with more information in due course.
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