Exclusive: Business department launches research looking at how other country鈥檚 tackle rogue traders
The government is researching how it might introduce licensing arrangements for builders in an effort to clamp down on rogue traders.
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) is undertaking a research project into licensing schemes in foreign countries after campaigners have pressured ministers to address the problem of rogue builders.
Campaign group Meg鈥檚 Campaign started pressuring government to licence builders after Meg Burgess, aged three, was killed by a falling wall in 2008.
The builder of the wall, George Collier, was later sentenced to two years in jail for gross negligence causing manslaughter.
The campaign, run by Meg鈥檚 parents, calls for government 鈥渢o bring an end to the cowboy builders by bringing in licenses to the building trade鈥� with 鈥減ermit only licensed, competent builders to work within the UK鈥�.
It also says that 鈥渇ailure to work to the standard as set by building control should automatically remove the builder鈥檚 license鈥�.
黑洞社区 regulations minister Don Foster wrote to Meg鈥檚 parents in December last year, following a meeting with them, saying his colleagues in BIS were 鈥渆mbarking on an evaluation of how other countries operate schemes to address the builder competence issues that Meg鈥檚 Campaign has highlighted鈥�.
He added that the 鈥渃ore standards鈥� of the government鈥檚 voluntary TrustMark scheme were also under review, and that officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government would 鈥渂e on the steering group of the project鈥�.
Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders said: 鈥淎 compulsory scheme is the most comprehensive way of doing it [outlawing rogue traders]. I鈥檓 not advocating registration of building companies across the board, just in the residential sector, that鈥檚 where there鈥檚 an issue.鈥�
Berry said initial feedback from FMB members was overwhelming support for licensing even if the cost ran into the thousands.
Stephen Mosley, Conservative MP for Chester, where the Burgess family is from, said Foster had an 鈥渙pen mind鈥� about introducing compulsory licences.
鈥淢eg鈥檚 parents raised the example of Australia, which has a licensing scheme for domestic builders, the department is looking at ideas like that,鈥� he added.
A spokesperson for BIS said the initiative was part of its 鈥渞outine鈥� research agenda.
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