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The king’s speech has now set out several key bills that will shape the construction sector. This includes the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill and the Small Businesses protections (late payment) bill. These two alone will have a positive impact on construction, this is very much needed at the moment. When we look at the work ahead, it does provide some optimism within the industry. However, we must not forget good practise. Health and Safety remains a key element within construction and it must not be set aside. Remember someone being hurt while working, or in fact the loss of a life, is unacceptable and we need to ensure that we follow our risk assessments and method statements, doing it the right way can save lives.

On another interesting note, although the CDM2015 review was completed and the results distributed earlier this year, the actions required still need more examination.

The HSE are now considering several of the issues raised, including:

• Clarifying the complexity of the pre-construction phase of the project and re-emphasising the need for early input from a competent PD

• Providing further clarity for all CDM 2015 duty holders on the obligations of the Client and the competency requirements of the PD role

• Encouraging the use of common digital systems for collating consistent project information and data so that it is accessible to all duty holders

• Ensuring that SMEs are provided with proportionate and targeted CDM 2015 guidance, directly relevant to the issues they are likely to face on a day-to-day basis, in an easy-to-understand and concise manner

As always, we will update you all when we hear more from our sources.

This month we are really focusing on new opportunities in addition to our usual support. During our latest team meeting, we planned to push the development of BSA, along with the upgrade of our Asbestos ToolKit to Cloud. This will enable us to facilitate all needs associated with Health and Safety in the workplace and ensure no silos within the business.

In addition to this, we have adopted the use of certain AI platforms to help us reach out to the relevant personnel and aid them with CDM. If you are aware of anybody seeking help with managing their CDM projects, then please do give a member of the team a call today.

If you would like to know more about CDM ToolKit CS Cloud, then please give a member of the team a call on 01525 850343 to arrange your free demonstration with them.

Kings Speech – Positives

We all heard the key announcements from The King's Speech; many of which will affect the construction industry directly. The steel industry nationalisation bill was announced to fully nationalise British Steel, this is huge news. Along with this this, the small business protections late payments bill will have a huge impact for many of those within construction, we all know that many businesses (small to medium) are affected by late payment issues. Then we have the remediation bill that will require construction product manufacturers to fund the removal of unsafe building cladding that they were responsible for supplying or installing. We also have the energy independence bill, that will lay out new efficiency requirements for rented homes as well as establishing new powers for ministers to target support for energy bills to those that most need it. Finally, we have the nuclear regulation bill that will speed up the removal for new nuclear energy projects. All of these new bills will support the Construction Industry going forward.

Construction Output Increase

We read in Specification Online that Construction output increased by 0.4% between 4Q2025 and 1Q2026, according to the latest data from ONS. This, compared with the same quarter in 2025, where output in 1Q2026 was down by 1.3%. A chief economist at BCIS (Dr David Crosthwaite), said ”On the face of it, the latest ONS data release for quarterly construction output is broadly positive with 0.4% growth evident in total output in 1Q2026. However, the data reveal some concerning trends. While quarterly repair and maintenance output grew by 3.4%, driven primarily by private housing R&M, new work output declined by 1.9%”.

Fire Safety Matters Live Event

The next event from FSM (Fire Safety Matters) will take place on 2nd July 2026 at the Coventry Building Society Arena in London. This is a free event, and more than 450 delegates will be able to ‘network’. You can now register for this event.

Homegrown Energy

New offshore wind farms are to be developed thus continuing the push for Net Zero. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has granted development consent for the development of these new wind farms and this work will support the UK’s steps towards energy independence. For more on this article visit PCB Today.

Employee Ownership – Way Forward?

We read in the construction enquirer that Quinn London has become the latest contractor to transition into an employee-owned trust (EOT). The founder, Seamus Quinn, said “the move to employee ownership trust represents an exciting new chapter for Quinn London”. If you are interested in this story, please visit Construction Enquirer.

New Housing Finance Model

According to Specification Online, a new housing finance model could unlock up to 200,000 additional homes and support more than 70,000 jobs across England by 2031, according to new research from CBRE and Mandala Partners. The model would enable delivery through the targeted deployment of £8.5 billion in public risk capital, providing a significant boost to the Government’s housebuilding ambitions.

Facilities Management Understaffed

According to a recent survey, 51% of organisations reported a shortage of facilities management staff reinforcing the view that resourcing constraints remain a defining challenge for the construction sector. Some believe it’s a skills gap, while others say it is down to lack of funding. For more information, please visit Construction Buzz.

Working Safely In Hot Weather

We can all feel the heat at the moment. However, for construction workers it is a ‘no choice’ situation. So, how can we protect them? The Building Safety Group states that “Working on a construction site can expose employee’s serious illnesses or even death. Those who are exposed to extreme temperatures may experience symptoms of heat-related illness (HRI), such as heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, fainting, heat stroke and other symptoms”. So, how can we help them? There is good guidance available on the HSE website for those who want to protect their staff.

Construction Skills Scheme

Cornwall is said to be receiving over £5m in the hope to ‘bridge the gap’ in recent construction skill shortages within the industry. The funding will go towards trade courses, apprenticeships and GCSE support. For more on this story, visit BBC News.

City Fencing Contractors Ltd Fined £10k

The HSE found that City Fencing Contractors Ltd failed to comply with the CDM 2015 Regulations after Paul Taylor struck a live underground cable whilst using a breaker, resulting in multiple burn injuries. The business was therefore fined £10,000 and more than £5,000 was ordered to be paid in costs. Construction News has the full story.

Latest HSE Guidance on Cutting Dry Stone

The HSE have announced new measures to protect workers from the risk of engineered dry stone dust. The legal requirement now states that organisations must enforce water suppression techniques to reduce, if not eliminate risk to their workforce. You can read more on this article on the HSE website.

“The CDM ToolKit CS Cloud system has become a fundamental asset in how we manage and maintain compliance across our client portfolios. The software effectively streamlines our daily administrative and auditing tasks, allowing us to deliver accurate, high-quality safety documentation with significantly reduced margins for error. Furthermore, the support from the Ai Solutions team is consistently excellent—highly knowledgeable, responsive, and always on hand whenever technical guidance is required”.