Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further (1) to the speech by the Prime Minister on the economy on 30 June in which he pledged they would “build, build, build”, and (2) to the rate of retirement rate of skilled workers in the construction sector, how they intend to ensure there are sufficient (1) quantity surveyors, (2) bricklayers, (3) plasterers, (4) masons, and (5) welders, in that sector.

The Government is supporting the construction sector in its drive to increase investment in skills development, and to equip workers with the skills that they will need for the future. This is a cross-industry drive which includes organisations delivering training to quantity surveyors, bricklayers, plasterers, masons, and welders. This will be achieved through a joint commitment to implement reforms to the Construction Industry Training Board to make it more strategic and industry-led, and to enable the sector to make best use of funding from the Apprenticeship Levy.

On 1 June, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) published its Industry Recovery Plan. Employment and skills in the construction sector are identified as a priority, and a focus of the ‘Restart’ phase of the Plan is to maximise employment opportunities.

The Government has welcomed the Plan and is collaborating with the CLC and industry to ensure that the proposals are implemented.