Unscrupulous Builders - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

I have been actively campaigning around Westminster about unscrupulous builders. My research was the basis for this debate in Westminster Hall which Paul Everall attended: http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9389000/9389904.stm transcribed in Hansard here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110209/halltext/110209h0001.htm#11020958000002 The next generation of building laws are on the way . . . but in New Zealand: www.beehive.govt.nz/release/next-generation-building-laws-way Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson announced that the NZ Government will introduce amendments to its Building Act 2004 that will help cut red-tape and bureaucracy and make builders more accountable, and following new appointments to its Building Practitioners Board: www.beehive.govt.nz/release/appointments-building-practitioners-board New Zealand's Government is the most recent in Australasia to adopt licensing and participate in Builders Licensing Australasia (BLA): www.bla.net.au/01_cms/index.asp?s_id=12 Membership of BLA comprises: Queensland Building Services Authority www.bsa.qld.gov.au Home Building Service, Office of Fair Trading, New South Wales www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/Tradespeople.html Building Commission, Victoria www.buildingcommission.com.au Office of Consumer and Business Affairs, South Australia www.ocba.sa.gov.au/licensing/buildingworkers/ Builders Registration Board, Western Australia www.builders.wa.gov.au ACT Land & Planning Authority www.actpla.act.gov.au/topics/hiring_licensing Office of Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading, Tasmania www.wst.tas.gov.au/industries/building Building Control Branch, Department of Justice, Tasmania www.wst.tas.gov.au/industries/building/director Building Advisory Services, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, Northern Territory www.nt.gov.au/lands/building/ Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources - Cth Department of Building and Housing New Zealand www.dbh.govt.nz There are numerous informative publications which can be downloaded from the websites above, many from that of the Building Commission of Victoria, and attached are some examples which interested me: NSW Home Building Act 1989 Review 2005 NZ Building Act 2004 Review - Summary of Submissions VIC Discussion Paper 2003 review of the Categories and Classes of Building Practitioner Registration VIC Reducing Building Disputes in Victoria - Allen Consulting Research Findings March 2005 VIC Building Commission Dispute Resolution Research Summary report March 2005 Read also the Policies of the Master Builders Association of Australia: http://www.masterbuilders.com.au/InformationSheets/InfoSheets.asp Reputable Scottish contractors voluntarily pay licence fees to the Construction Licensing Executive, not a government agency but a charity which they set up (http://www.clescotland.co.uk). There is no equivalent in England and Wales. The State of Arkansas recently has passed new construction legislation to protect consumers from unscrupulous builders and home-improvement contractors: http://www.lovelycitizen.com/story/1762828.html These matters are mainly for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to address by way of a formal consultation which was refused when it was requested by Stephen Lloyd MP in the debate mentioned above on 9th February. Until such a consultation takes place, the taxpayer will continue to pay for the consequences of less effective regulation of the construction industry and many criminal offences will be committed which are capable of reduction if not prevention. More innovative, dynamic, adaptive regulation resulting from more harmonious cooperation between the industry and the Government should reduce the burden on Police and Trading Standards Officers of difficult and protracted investigations of hopefully fewer offences and fewer victims. The unseen cost to the taxpayer needs to be reduced. If you have an opinion about raising standards and improving regulation, this is an appropriate forum as is the RIBA Knowledge Communities where you can find news of RIBA's new housing campaign: Homewise http://www.riba-knowledgecommunities.com/node/8869 Please discuss!