(Secretary of State for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy): As part
of the Industrial Strategy, the Government committed to making
the most of the UK’s strengths, so we can be at the forefront of
new technologies and emerging industries in the years ahead. The
construction sector is fundamental to our economy as we invest in
our future; building the homes and infrastructure we rely on.
The Construction Sector Deal aims to drive a substantial
improvement in the productivity growth of the sector in the
coming years, by increasing the use of digital and offsite
manufacturing technologies, creating new jobs and training the
workforce in new skills, and supporting UK firms to exploit
export opportunities in a rapidly expanding global construction
market. The Deal will support the development of affordable, easy
to construct homes, schools and other buildings which can be
quickly and sustainably manufactured offsite and then assembled
when and where needed. The Deal will boost the delivery of the
Government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes by 2022.
The Construction Sector Deal will deliver:
- £420 million of investment to transform construction through
developing and commercialising new digital and offsite
manufacturing technologies for construction, which will aim to
reduce the cost of new buildings by a third, and halve the time
taken to deliver them;
- Cheaper energy bills for families and businesses – supporting
the Industrial Strategy Clean Growth mission to halve the energy
use of new builds by 2030;
- 25,000 construction apprenticeship starts and 1,000
Construction T level placements; and
- Supporting the UK construction sector to compete in the
global market for infrastructure which is worth US $2.5 trillion
a year.
With almost half of the economy reliant on the built environment
and the services it enables, this Deal brings together the
construction, manufacturing, energy and digital sectors to
deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in the
construction sector and accelerate a shift to building more
efficient, safer, healthier and more affordable places to live,
work and learn.
Sector Deals, where industries are invited to come forward with
plans for their future, embody the ethos of our collaborative
approach. They show how industry and the Government, working in
partnership, can boost the productivity and earning power of
specific sectors. We have already struck ambitious deals with the
artificial intelligence, life sciences, automotive and creative
industries sectors with the Nuclear Sector Deal announced last
week, and we look forward to building on this in the months
ahead.
