Last edited 14 Nov 2020

Government Construction Board

1 Introduction
2 Reform
3 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
4 External references

[edit] Introduction

The Government Construction Strategy (available from the gov.uk website) was published in May 2011. It was prepared by the Efficiency and Reform Group, working with the Construction Sector Unit of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), and Infrastructure UK (IUK now the Infrastructure and Projects Authority). The intention of the strategy was to reduce the cost of public sector construction by up to 20% by the end of the parliament and to stimulate growth in construction.

The strategy is overseen by the Government Construction Board (GCB).

The Government Construction Board comprises senior officials from the government’s main constructing departments and agencies along with departments that have a policy interest in construction and efficiency, and also the National Improvement and Efficiency Partnership.

[edit] Reform

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) was established to oversee implementation of Construction 2025, 'Industrial Strategy: government and industry in partnership'. Construction 2025 sets out a long-term vision for ‘…how industry and Government will work together to put Britain at the forefront of global construction…’

The CLC is an industry / government council jointly chaired by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and an industry representative. It is not entirely clear what the relationship is between the Government Construction Strategy and Construction 2025, or between the GCB and the CLC.

On 16 July 2015, Skills Minister at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Nick Boles MP announced that the CLC would be restructured (ref. Gov.uk). The restructuring of the CLC involved reducing the number of members from 30 to just 12.

The new Council is intended to ‘build on the work of the government’s Chief Construction Adviser. However, the government argued that there had been a duplication of roles and as a result, the CCA position was scrapped in November 2015 when the tenure of Peter Hansford ended.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Hancock took over responsibility for the Government Construction Strategy. It is not clear where this leaves the Government Construction Board.

It was reported in November 2015 that a revised Government Construction Strategy was being prepared under the leadership of Cabinet Office minister Nick Hancock.

The second Government Construction Strategy, Government Construction Strategy 2016 2020 was published by the Cabinet Office and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) in March 2016. For more information, see Government Construction Strategy 2016 2020.

It will be delivered by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority in partnership with the construction spending departments and agencies that make up the Government Construction Board.