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The amount which Gordon Brown added to rates for corporation tax, capital gains tax and air passenger tax, vehicle and stamp duties in last month's budget. The chancellor promised to keep up spending levels in the public sector, and had good news for specialist contractors: he would address late payments with a review of the 1996 Housing Grants and Construction Regenerations Act.

Brown also unveiled the Construction Industry Policy and European Regulation taskforce, to warn industry of impending new policy and allow discussion on issues such as sustainable construction.

There was some bad news, however, for small businesses; from April 'owner-managed' incorporated businesses with profits up to £300k will pay a 19% tax rate on dividends paid to individual shareholders.

18

The percentage of young people passing the foundation modern apprenticeship, the entry level apprenticeship for construction. And the pass rate is definitely falling.

CITB Construction Skills is to blame for this, says the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH), because it insists that apprentices are assessed in the workplace when few employers can provide the full range of work experience needed. Teachers want to assess some skills in the workplace.

The 85 heads of construction departments in further education who gathered for the BACH annual conference last month are frustrated. Since 90% of their teaching has been assessed as satisfactory or better, they argue there's little they can do to improve the pass rate without CITB changing its policy.

19

Gleeson's position in the Sunday Times' 100 Best Companies to Work For - the highest ever attained by a construction company. Gleeson's secret, it seems, is a family atmosphere and operational freedom for the different parts of the business.

Colin Miller, a project manager who started almost 28 years ago, explains: "I value the personal touch. You're treated as an individual, by name and not as a number. That's why I've stayed." He adds: "You're not a puppet, to do something when someone pulls your string; you're paid to use your expertise and nous to run the job. I like that."

Other construction sector firms in the top 100 are fit-out specialist Interior (27), London & Quadrant Housing (29), Arup (37), Mace (48), Lindum Group (52), Westbury (74) and Countryside Properties (98).

182

The number of occupations now covered by CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme), following the launch of the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Control Officer platinum card on 22 March.

To qualify, managers should have a S/NVQ level 4: those without can apply for an accreditation card for the first two years which requires an employer or former employer to vouch for their competence. In addition, all applicants have to pass a manager's level health and safety test.

The plastic credit card-sized CSCS card carries each scheme member's name, photograph, registration number and occupation and a special holofoil for the H&S pass. It can be used with employers and customers as evidence of the individual's competence, and also acts as a form of identity. Over 586,000 workers now have the cards. For an application form, call 01485 578777.

120,000

The additional number of houses that the industry needs to build in order to bring the current 2.4% rate of UK house price growth in line with the EU average of 1.1%.

So says Kate Barker's new review of housing supply, Delivering Stability: Securing our Future Housing Needs. In 2002/3, 125,000 new homes were completed; Barker estimates that 17,000 new social homes are needed every year for the next 10 years, equating to an annual investment of £1.2bn. If the backlog is to be met, an additional 23,000 homes at £1.6bn are required.

The review also calls for a overhaul of the planning system to take market forces into account, greater certainty and speed, and a development tax on landowners who benefit from receiving planning permission. Read the whole report at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media//92045/barker_review_execsum_91.pdf.

3.3bn

The budget for 2004 to 2006 for the Housing Corporation, the government agency which regulates housing associations in England. The cash will fund over 67,000 new affordable homes, with £667m of the £3.3bn allocated to provide 16,000 homes for public sector employees such as teachers and nurses, or 'key workers'.

This is the first time the government has approved a two-year programme. Though the corporation's biggest-ever, it hopes for even longer programmes in the future to allow better planning and more efficiency. Under a new funding regime, 80% of the funding will go to 71 housing associations or groups of housing associations to allow greater economies of scale. In recent years the corporation has been dealing with 350 to 400 housing associations, producing an average of 50 houses each.