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North East uni calls for construction sector help

A North East university has been commissioned to prepare a report on the economic case for lowering VAT on building maintenance, and is now seeking help from people working in the sector.

The Repairing Britain Campaign is calling on the Government to reduce VAT on property repairs to 5 percent, and has asked Teesside University to gather information on how such a change would help the sector.

The campaign believes that the change could help to save as many as 250,000 of the construction industry jobs currently under threat from due to poor economic conditions.

The Business School is now inviting construction industry professionals to provide information that will give an accurate report of the current state of the sector.

Individuals can submit data or anecdotal evidence to Andrew Harrison – a.harrison@tees.ac.uk, who is compiling the academic paper.

Garvis Snook, Chief Executive of Rok plc, who is spearheading the Repairing Britain campaign, said: “This independent report will deliver contemporary data on the likely effect on the sector and the wider economy if the Government were to be persuaded to reduce the VAT rate on property repairs and maintenance. It will provide academic evidence of the effect a cut would have on the construction industry labour market and the net income of the government.”

Alastair Thomson, Dean of Teesside University Business School, said: “This is a very relevant and challenging issue and we are keen to investigate the case for a VAT reduction. Information provided by the construction industry will be an important part of the report and we are keen to hear from the sector with contribute to an accurate analysis.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .