CIOB stresses importance of construction to new Scottish and Welsh governments

[edit] Scottish Government must be realistic about construction challenges says CIOB

Following the outcome of the 2026 Holyrood Election, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has stressed the importance of the construction sector in achieving the Scottish Government’s objectives.

CIOB warns Scotland faces profound, intertwined challenges like the housing emergency and ambitious climate change targets. Addressing these challenges will not be possible without a well-functioning construction sector.

Dr Jocelyne Fleming, Scottish Policy and Public Affairs Lead at CIOB, said: “A new parliamentary term offers the opportunity to both extend existing and build new relationships with policymakers.

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to help deliver on their manifesto commitments, which included establishing a national housing agency, More Homes Scotland; developing a single, national skills plan for Scotland; reforming the planning system; and increasing the number of apprenticeships to 150,000 over the Parliamentary term.

“But to achieve these objectives, the sector and the new Government must be realistic about the challenges construction is facing, notably an ongoing skills shortage in critical roles plus a crowded and quickly changing policy and regulatory landscape.

“Our pre-election manifesto made it clear the next Scottish Government must take urgent action to move beyond fragmented policy interventions and fix the underlying systems that enable delivery. By taking a cross-portfolio, whole-system approach to housing supply, retrofit, skills, and building safety, this Scottish Government can create the conditions needed to turn ambition into action.”

Jocelyne concluded: “The construction sector is reliant on stability, and we urge Scottish Government to ensure consistency and longevity in its approach to policymaking, working in tandem with the industry.

“A first step is to engage with the sector on a range of pressing issues, including the design and structure of More Homes Scotland and the Heat in Buildings Bill, and to adopt the manifesto commitment from the Scottish Greens, which reflects CIOB’s proposals for a demolition levy to raise much-needed funds for building safety and remediation works.”

[edit] Senedd must work with and listen to construction sector says CIOB

Following the result of the 2026 Senedd election and Plaid Cymru becoming the largest party in the Welsh Parliament, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has stressed the vital role the construction sector plays in achieving the new Welsh Government’s objectives.

CIOB has warned that without ambitious policymaking and increased support for the construction sector, Wales will continue to face problems around skills, housing delivery and retrofit, and climate change. Previous siloed working across government has proven to be ineffective, and as such CIOB urges this new Welsh Government to think strategically for the long-term in conjunction with industry experts.

David Kirby, Policy and Public Affairs Lead for Wales at the Chartered Institute of Building, said: “A new Senedd brings opportunities to build on the work of the Sixth Senedd, continuing to work with the CIOB and its members across Wales.

“We hope to have the opportunity to work with the Welsh Government and policymakers across the political spectrum to help deliver on Plaid Cymru’s manifesto commitments, including on social housing delivery and ensuring people have opportunities to enter the construction sector and develop lifetime careers. We published our own Welsh Manifesto in January 2026 and were pleased to see a lot of our recommendations featured in various party manifestos, including a retrofit plan for housing regardless of tenure, and steps to address the ever-widening skills gap in Wales.

“But to achieve these objectives, the Senedd and the Welsh Government must work with and listen to the construction sector to ensure policy is both ambitious and achievable. Failure to do so will further ingrain existing issues and mean that, come the end of the Senedd term in 2030, the construction sector and party manifesto aims will be in the same – or a worse – standing."

David concluded: “There is cause for hope: the Sixth Senedd took numerous steps to ensure policy is co-developed with industry as opposed to something done to industry. We look forward to ensuring we remain a trusted partner to Welsh Government and policymakers to ensure stability and consistency in its approach.”

This article appears on the CIOB news and blog site as "Scottish Government must be realistic about construction challenges says CIOB" and "Senedd must work with and listen to construction sector says CIOB" respectively dated 9 May 2026.

--CIOB