§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will 627W make a statement about the Consultation document "Accelerating Change"; what role Constructionline will play in public sector tendering; when Constructionline was formed; what percentage of public sector tenders were vetted by this company in each of the last three years; how many are expected in each of the next three years; what financial sanctions will be imposed on those public sector bodies that do not use Constructionline; and what investigations he has carried out into the cost effectiveness of alternative companies to Constructionline. [57252]
§ Mr. WilsonI have been asked to reply.
I welcome the efforts of the Strategic Forum for Construction, which launched the Accelerating Change consultation document on 22 April. It is important that Rethinking Construction principles are adopted deeply and widely throughout the industry and among its clients. The challenge for the Forum, with support from DTI, is to ensure the final document secures widespread commitment to deliver change.
Constructionline saves its clients (and registered firms) the bureaucracy and time otherwise required to process information about construction firms' underlying capacity and capability to undertake the types of work for which they offer themselves. Constructionline was formed in 1998. It does not vet tenders—it addresses pre-tender enquiries. It is a voluntary service free to clients. Constructionline is owned by government and operated by a private sector partner following a tendering exercise.