INBRIEF

oak panelled rooms

A œ4 million contract to supply English oak joinery for the new parliament building project has been awarded to Swift Horsman of Ware in Hertfordshire. John Laing is management contractor on the project which will provide offices for MPs.

bovis get bp refurbs

Bovis has formed a five year alliance with BP to build, refurbish and maintain all BP's retail sites in Europe. Bovis will earn its profits solely from the savings it achieves on current building costs. Bovis aims at savings of up to 30 per cent by the end of 1998. The programme is for 300 new or "raze and rebuild" filling stations in 16 countries.

tarmac for catterick

Tarmac Building has a œ15 million contract to design, develop and construct 224 married family quarters at Wavell Estate on the Army's Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.

laing signs union code

Contractor John Laing is to sign a working agreement with construction union leaders from UCATT, TGWU and GMB at the Millennium Stadium project at Cardiff Arms Park today (9 April). The document sets out rules and guidelines for employment terms and conditions and a code of practice for the conduct of industrial relations and safety.

WORKING ONTHELEVY

The CITB has introduced two initiatives to improve the collection of the training levy, including: the opening up of access to the CITB's employer register through which employers can check whether a competing firm is registered or not; and a levy verification team who will help employers fill in their levy returns and identify those who fail to declare accurate figures.