Emmerson Report
The Ministry of Works' 'Survey of Problems before the Construction Industries', commonly known as the Emmerson Report, was published in 1962.
It was one of several reports aimed at improving the way the industry was organised and the way construction work was procured. The report pointed to shortcomings and fragmentation in the industry and the professions - engineer, architect, builder, and so on.
The Emmerson Report criticised a lack of cohesion between the parties to a construction contract and proposed 'the possibility of adopting a common form of contract for both civil and building engineering work'. It also suggested the standardisation of subcontracts.
Many of the issues raised were developed further in the Banwell Report published in 1964.
However, Emmerson also said: "Because this study is intended to detect signs of ill-health it may give a false picture. I must, therefore, emphasize most strongly that in a more balanced survey I should wish to pay tribute to the remarkable recovery of the building materials industries and the construction industries from the war period when they were practically closed down; their flexibility in meeting new demands on their services in the past fifteen years; the introduction of new materials, increased mechanization and new techniques; the steady rise in output, and the avoidance of major industrial disputes."
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