As aired in your letters pages (13 May, pages 38-39) Mr Danieli could have had the right of adjudication against his two non-paying customers had anyone told him of the standard form of building contract for a home owner/occupier as published by the JCT in 1999, priced 拢9.99 and available from WH Smith among other places.

At the time of its publication, it was pointed out that unless the marketing of this simple and much-needed standard form was positively addressed by the JCT and its component bodies, including the RICS and RIBA, there would inevitably be little take-up by those it was designed to protect 鈥� the small builders and their domestic clients.

The RICS was best placed to do so through its members in local authority planning departments, who could have issued a flyer with every planning application. Twice I put this suggestion in writing to the RICS, but seemingly nothing was done to promote this 鈥渋nvisible鈥� form of contract. It may be too late for Mr Danieli, but having now been elected to the RICS governing council, I can but try a third time!

Jeremy Hackett, Schofield Lothian

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