HC Deb 05 November 1975 vol 899 cc397-9
19. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to assist in maintaining established design teams of consulting engineers and architects during the present period of declining contracts in the private and public sector.

Mr. Freeson

We have recently announced action to alleviate the problems of the construction industry, and are setting up a construction exports advisory board to promote overseas work. These steps will help to maintain established design teams. We are also considering suggestions put forward by the RIBA at a meeting I held with it on 30th June.

Mrs. Short

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware that the export potential of consulting engineers and architects depends on a firm home base and that they cannot operate without a steady home market? Will he consider drawing up a list of major civil and structural engineering projects required over the next 10 or 15 years and arrange feasibility studies in order to keep teams together and provide jobs for the offices?

Mr. Freeson

I do not think that I can accept the suggestion in the form in which it is put to me by my hon. Friend. However, the underlying proposition is accepted, and we are examining the possibility of what is loosely described as "a moving shelf" of jobs. For this to be effective in any gradual upturn of the construction industry or the economy that would allow it, we should have to concentrate, at least initially, not on major but on small schemes, which could be quickly brought off the shelf and put into the pipeline of work. We discussed this and a number of other matters with the RIBA, and we are pursuing the matter further.

Mr. Costain

Has the hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to the Third Report of the Public Accounts Committee, published in June, making it clear that a number of public contracts have been grossly overspent because of the lack of available drawings? Is not this an excellent opportunity, during the recession, to prepare proper drawings, so that when the recession is over we can get more buildings more cheaply?

Mr. Freeson

Without going into the hon. Gentleman's comment about the PAC Report, I think that it can be said that he has just endorsed what I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short).

Mr. Moate

Ought not it to be Government policy to ensure that the position of consultants with teams should not be undermined by an unreasonable build-up of design teams in the regional water authorities and the regional road construction units?

Mr. Freeson

I am not aware of any unreasonable build-up of that kind.