Opinion 鈥� Page 541
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Comment
How to sing like a canary
The Office of Fair Trading is putting firms who operate cartels in a dilemma: do they keep shtoom and hope nobody finds out 鈥� or blow the whistle first?
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CommentGo back to square one
The law dealing with negligence and defective buildings is a mess, and every time the courts look at it, they make things worse. We need to start again 鈥�
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Comment
Bingham bashing
I was the architect involved in the case that Tony Bingham wrote about in his article 鈥淭oo much to ask for鈥� (27 May, page 48).
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Comment
Nice NEC does it
Ann Minogue (27 May, page 47) wrote: 鈥淎t last, someone has produced a consultancy agreement that applies the same terms for each member of the team.鈥�
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Comment
Conspiracy theory
Stephen Ratcliffe, chief executive of the Construction Confederation, suggests that my article on the ailing CSCS scheme amounts to an outlandish conspiracy theory (20 May, page 17).
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Comment
Standard bearer
I find it difficult to understand why Alan Thomas (Letters, 29 April, page 39) doesn鈥檛 think the BRE certification scheme could work for modern methods of construction, particularly as he quotes Peter Hewlett鈥檚 paper detailing the methodology of the British Board of Agr茅ment鈥檚 approval scheme.
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Comment
When the wind doesn鈥檛 blow
You have asked for opinions on starting a new nuclear power station program (20 May, page 13).
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Comment
English: a construction skill
Your feature on immigration from the new entrants to the European Union (20 May, pages 26-29) chimes with the findings of the RICS鈥� UK construction industry survey earlier this year.
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CommentFlexibility is your friend
Flexible working and construction aren鈥檛 natural stablemates. Job-sharing or part-time professionals are by and large an anathema, and paid leave for new fathers and mothers is often no more than the statutory minimum.
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Comment
Domestic dispute
Mr Cartwright was an adjudicator in respect of a dispute between Miss Lydia Fay and Colonial Preservation & Construction Ltd regarding a JCT 星空传媒 Contract. He had been appointed by the RICS and had issued his terms and conditions to the parties. He apportioned his fee on a 50/50 ...
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CommentSome strings attached
As the plan to build sustainable communities on public land begins to take shape, we should make social inclusion a condition for funding and planning permission
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CommentWhere did Multiplex go wrong?
We鈥檙e used to drama at Wembley but last week鈥檚 events are right up there with white horses and Russian linesmen.
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Comment
Pulling a fast one
It took just 22 days for Mr Justice Jackson to enforce the adjudicator鈥檚 decision in the Devonport case. So if the courts can work that fast, why adjudicate at all?
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Comment
Target the individual
Your leader and the article on the impending corporate manslaughter bill suggest that the measures are welcomed by the industry (20 May, page14).
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Comment
A load of crystal balls
To make clients responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the principal contractor, its subcontractors and their employees 鈥� does this branch out to include visitors and the general public? 鈥� during the construction phase of the works is flawed. Are the CDM regulators going to provide crystal balls ...
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Comment
Happy returns
It is good to see that Willmott Dixon has increased its pre-tax profit to more than 拢10m (13 May, page 22). You quote Rick Willmott saying this 2.5% margin is 鈥渁s good as you鈥檒l get in construction鈥�. But why is this the case?
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Comment
Plumbers鈥� plight
The skills shortage in the construction industry is a crisis with far-reaching implications (13 May, page 14).