§ Mr. HopeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how he intends to take forward the proposals contained in his Department's consultation paper "Combating Cowboy Builders". [54875]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI am pleased to announce the formation of a working group chaired by Anthony Merricks CBE to drive forward the Government's campaign against cowboy builders.
This follows the publication of our consultation paper "Combating Cowboy Builders" to which we received over 130 responses from the construction industry, local government and consumer interests.
The tone of these responses, a summary of which I am placing in the Library, was very encouraging, with the overwhelming majority supporting the two key proposals in the consultation paper: the development of an approved list (or lists) of reputable contractors to empower consumers; and a kitemark or badge of quality which would indicate that a trader subscribed to agreed standards of quality backed by a warranty and an effective means of redress if things go wrong.
The new working group's terms of reference include a commitment to deliver a tangible outcome by this time next year. It will include key representatives from the construction industry, local government, consumer interests and the insurance industry.