Opinion

In a statement following the CSR, PwC construction global leader Jonathan Hook found both positive and negative sides to today’s review.

Contractors have warned that the real test of the comprehensive spending review will be whether it allows the private sector to recover sufficiently to make up for the loss of public sector capital spending.

KPMG’s UK head of building and construction, Fiona McDermott has welcomed the increased capital spendign budget says the government needs to do more on the delivery of social housing.

Despite all of its major schemes being secured in the Comprehensive Spending Review, Network Rail has said that it is not complacent as it awaits the outcome of the McNulty value for money study.

RICS director of external affairs Mark Goodwin has accused the government of gambling with the economy by reducing the Department of Communities and Local Government’s spending by 74pc over the next four years.

The Construction Products Association said there was “some relief” for the construction industry today after the Chancellor George Osborne announced he would maintain transport investment over the next four years.

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association has welcomed the link Chancellor George Osborne made between investment in infrastructure and economic growth.

Construction Products Association economics director Noble Francis has reacted to the CSR and said those working in the transport sector are looking reasonably good as the review could have been a lot worse.

The Federation of Master Builders has condemned the Chancellor’s announcement that funding for new social homes will be cut to £4.4bn for the building of up to 150,000 homes.

The coalition government has announced plans to abolish the default retirement age. After next October it will be necessary to justify any retirement date objectively, or to terminate an individual’s employment for some other reason. Before 2006, employers could set any age for retirement. The Default Retirement Age was then introduced…