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News Release from: nCRISP | Subject: UK Construction Productivity Is Good
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 December 2003
UK Construction Productivity Is Good
Minister welcomes new nCRISP report that suggests UK construction productivity good, not bad.
At a reception on Tuesday 25th November Nigel Griffiths, Minister for Construction, welcomed the publication of The Social and Economic Value of Construction and the report's finding that, contrary to widespread belief, labour productivity in the UK construction industry is comparable to France and Germany Written by leading economist Professor David Pearce, this report is the outcome of an nCRISP Socio-Economic Task Group set up to examine the role the UK construction industry plays in contributing to the over-arching goal of sustainable development
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 13 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"This report brings together in one place the key facts and data on the UK construction industry.
These describe an industry that is making an invaluable contribution to the country's economic and social welfare," said Nigel Griffiths.
"With this report nCRISP and Professor Pearce have provided an excellent basis for both a better understanding and future collaboration between the industry and its clients." The Social and Economic Value of Construction: The Construction Industry's Contribution to Sustainable Development considers the industry's contribution to the UK economy and to the health and wellbeing of UK society.
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The construction industry suffers an image problem and attracts criticism from those both within and outside the industry.
This report does not set out to paint a favourable picture - it establishes the broad facts, focusing on statistics and treating qualitative material as secondary.
However, by presenting a fair and factual overview it reveals that some of the most popular criticisms are false, or, at least, in need of serious qualification.
Both the minister and the author of the report highlighted in their presentations two of the most important findings of the research: - The labour productivity and total productivity records for the UK construction industry are good, not bad.
Contrary to general impressions labour productivity is comparable to France and Germany, but around 12% lower than the USA.
Further research is needed to identify why productivity is better in the construction industry than in any other sector in the UK and why the UK construction industry lags behind the USA.
Good design contributes to physical and mental health, to a sense of identity, to good social relationships, reduced crime, and higher productivity.
Bad design and dilapidated stock has the opposite effect.
There is an urgent need for more and better research into this relationship between buildings, infrastructure and human wellbeing.
"This report provides a unique overview of UK construction.
It highlights the value of construction - both its aggregate value accumulated over time as the greater part of national fixed capital assets and its real and potential value, in term of current construction activity, to sustainable development and sustainable communities," said Michael Dickson, Chairman, nCRISP.
"However, one of the main conclusions of the report is that the industry needs to be the subject of more and better analysis.
This report is the beginning, not the end of the process, and lays the foundation for a planned programme of research into the true value of construction by the nCRISP Socio-Economic Task Group in 2004.".
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