The government has decided to withdraw funding for the Customer Satisfaction Survey for housebuilders

The survey, which is run by the Housing Forum at Constructing Excellence in the Built Environment, ranked housebuilders on the basis of customer鈥檚 satisfaction with their performance. It was the only such ranking available to the consumer.

The ODPM and the DTI have now ended their 拢60,000 grant to the forum. This move follows a recommendation in Kate Barker鈥檚 report into housing undersupply last year, which suggested that housebuilders should take responsibility for regulating themselves.

A new league table is to be compiled by the Home Builders鈥� Federation and the ODPM.

Dennis Lenard, the chief executive of Constructing Excellence, said there had been political problems associated with continuing the survey with forum involvement.

We鈥檝e had all sorts of political problems. Housebuilders don鈥檛 want to be ranked and the funding has been pulled

Dennis Lenard

He said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had all sorts of political problems this year. Housebuilders don鈥檛 want to be ranked and the ODPM has pulled the funding. We鈥檙e not involved with it any more, and we鈥檙e obviously very disappointed.鈥�

Judith Harrison, director of the Housing Forum, conceded that the Barker review had suggested that the industry regulate itself, but said she feared that the new survey would be less rigorous than the one published by her own organisation for the past three years.

She said: 鈥淎s usual in government, there had always been the intention to provide start-up funding. But it is a common concern that the new survey won鈥檛 be as independent or as statistically rigorous as before.鈥�