Government

Collapsed contractor Jehu Group received £7.5m in taxpayer-funded grants and loans while it was struggling, it has emerged. A report by the Bridgend-headquartered company’s administrators revealed that the circa £70m-turnover firm received £5.1m in loans from the Welsh Government-owned Development Bank of Wales in the year before it went under.…

Trust accounts could take the place of retentions in the construction industry, the Scottish Government has said. The recommendation was included in a new policy note released before Christmas that aims to achieve the Scottish Government’s “long-term aspiration to reduce or remove the need for retentions”. The note was included…

The government will miss its deadline for outlining the next phase of energy-costs support for businesses, Jeremy Hunt has admitted. In his Autumn Statement last month, the chancellor said that the Treasury-led review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) would be published by 31 December. The review is considering…

The prospect of a school-building collapse is “very likely”, according to the stark conclusions of a government report. The horrific scenario is one of six key risks identified by the Department for Education (DfE) in its end-of-year annual report – along with cyber-attacks and the impact of the pandemic.  Published…

Ministers are close to finalising plans for a two-pronged package of energy-bills support for businesses – including extra help for steel manufacturers – according to media reports. The Financial Times and Sunday Times reported that chancellor Jeremy Hunt is drawing up a package that would give a lower level of…

The government has announced that 239 more schools will receive funding through its 10-year school-rebuilding programme. The announcement brings the number of institutions confirmed in the scheme to 400 out of the eventual total of 500. The Department for Education (DfE) said that construction works were “nearing completion” at some…

The cost-of-living crisis and a sharp focus on the need for environmental solutions is expected to accelerate innovation in infrastructure, according to a report by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The report, Infrastructure in 2023, suggests that the smaller pot of money available for major infrastructure projects during the…

Lancashire County Council has launched its search for contractors for a framework covering new-build and refurbishment jobs across a range of sectors. Contractors on the £300m four-year framework will cover adaptation, extension and reactive emergency works for education, leisure and office schemes. Work awarded via the framework could also be…

The number of construction companies defaulting on their COVID loans has risen sharply, Construction News can reveal. Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that nearly 40,000 construction firms had defaulted on their bounce-back loans up to the end of October, amounting to 15 per cent of all…

A recently announced review of how small and medium-sized businesses are paid could help to iron out poor payment practices higher up the supply chain, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has said. The review, announced by business secretary Grant Shapps earlier this month, will consider the impact of payment practices…