ONE VOICE: MANY QUESTIONS

A degree of common sense appears finally to have prevailed in the great Newco debate. It has long been apparent to most neutral observers that building and civil engineering contractors and general contractors seeking a more rational representative structure would do better to develop the existing Construction Industry Employers Council than to set up some entirely new body. CIEC is already recognised by the Government. And you don't combat fragmentation by simply adding to it.

Any idea of forced mergers is unrealistic. Separate organisations genuinely reflect market forces. Builders and civil engineers, for example, do frequently have different and conflicting policy interests.

That is not to say that there is no scope for rationalisation and some sharing of resources. A beefed up CIEC offers that opportunity.

But there are still many questions to be answered. Any thoughts that a revitalised CIEC is going to be a 'single voice' for contractors are just pipedreams. Specialist contractors are quite happy with their newly evolved structure which focuses their views through the Constructors Liaison Group. And, no, the CLG is not interested in becoming part of CIEC. On the contrary, its members place considerably more faith in the future of a post-Latham Construction Industry Board.

It remains to be seen just how CIEC and a Construction Industry Board will relate or, indeed, whether they will overlap.

It also has to be asked what degree of common interests can be represented by a body like CIEC which includes both contractors and manufacturers and materials suppliers.

Further, what will be the mechanism for policy-making, and what will be the relationship between the proposed president of the new body and its high-powered, highly-paid chief executive? Who's in charge?

But, as ever, money remains the crucial question. Just how much is the revitalised CIEC going to cost? Remember, there is already the prospect of federations forking out extra cash for a Construction Industry Board.

Can the new, improved CIEC avoid the danger of being just another layer of bureaucracy? One of the initial Newco notions was to save money. It looks suspiciously as if the final solution is going to cost more money.

These are just some of the questions. The answers are not as easy as some would have us believe.