BWF tells Chancellor how joinery manufacturers can ‘get Britain building’ for growth

In the BWF’s pre-budget submission to the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, BWF Chief Executive Iain McIlwee has outlined proposals to boost the fortunes of joinery manufacturers through the housing and retrofitting sectors, while at the same time helping to meet the UK’s energy efficiency and growth targets.

The letter, which was sent in advance of next week’s Budget announcement, focused on two vital catalysts for growth:

1. Get Britain Building. This is essential to economic growth, yet construction output has declined 8 per cent in the year.  We urge the government to do all it can to shift spending to capital investment on social housing and look at how stamp duty can be used further to support first time buyers and hence drive the private market towards meeting housing targets.

2. Reduce VAT on all domestic refurbishment work.  This would not only provide a much needed shot in the arm for the refurb and retrofit sector, but would drag work out of the grey economy, thus improving fiscal return and professionalism within the building sector as a whole.  Furthermore it would help to boosting carbon and energy saving initiatives such as the Green Deal.

The submission also included an invitation for the Chancellor to visit a BWF member joinery manufacturing business in order to showcase how a traditional industry is constantly innovating to meet ever intensifying cost pressures and environmental, durability and fire safety requirements.

BWF Chief Executive Iain McIlwee commented

“This Budget has to be about growth and the environment to support growth.  We have had far too much jam tomorrow.  In recent budgets we have had the promise of money to support construction, but it is simply not filtering through the bureaucracy.  – The focus must be positive decisive action, not just about making monies available, but making stuff happen.  The time for capital expenditure is today or tomorrow will be a fairly bleak place.”

Follow the link to view the BWF's 2013 Budget submission letter to the Chancellor.   

Follow the link to view the BWF's 2013 Budget submission letter to the Chancellor.