Construction should
not be overlooked by the Government in no-deal Brexit preparation says the
Federation of Master Builders in response to the construction PMI data
published showing that output in September declined at second-sharpest pace
since 2009.
The fall in staffing
levels was the sixth in as many months and the strongest since the end of 2010.
Brian Berry, Chief
Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “The construction
industry accounts for seven per cent of the UK’s GDP and over three million
jobs. (These)figures, which show the second-sharpest fall in output since 2009
and staffing levels since 2010, should be a concern for us all. With ambitious
infrastructure and house building targets, the Government can’t afford to lose
any more capacity in this industry.
“The PMI data picks
up on material shortages and bottlenecks already, even before leaving the EU,
and this is likely to be a major concern in the event of a no-deal. I urge the
Government to work with the industry to ensure that key construction products,
critical to the building work this country needs, such as timber, are not held
up at ports across the country in a no-deal scenario.
“It is encouraging
to see the industry is more optimistic for the next 12 months and I hope that
if the Government is able to secure a good exit deal with the EU, then client
confidence will rebound, and the industry will start growing again.”
