Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the practice of retentions as a means of insurance in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

The withholding of a retention is a common contractual practice in the construction industry. Through the Construction Leadership Council the Government is working with the construction industry to move towards a position where retentions are no longer needed, as part of a more general set of measures on good payment practices.