I applaud your Reform the Regs campaign and welcome much of what is proposed (17 March).

However, is the suggestion to make clients responsible for compliance not absolutely perverse? This is very similar to the proposals in the CDM Regulations whereby the client is legally responsible for ensuring a whole range of issues related to his project - and has to pay for the privilege! The solution surely is for the industry to take responsibility for what it produces and how it operates.

The proposals on regulation reform advocate more self-certification. The CDM Regulations require that all appointees are competent. Both aims can be more easily achieved by requiring all in the industry to be licensed. The quid pro quo is that all construction work has to be undertaken by licensed practitioners. This would provide greater certainty for clients and offer the basis for the construction industry to be seen as an attractive career prospect.

Brian B Law, chief executive, Association for Project Safety

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