Construction insolvencies on the up

More than 1,600 construction firms became insolvent last year, a slight rise on 2000 and nearly 500 suffered the same fate in the first quarter of this year.

Figures for England and Wales and Scotland (the latter is counted separately) are only slight increases on the year-ago and previous quarter figures.

Construction insolvencies in England and Wales      Construction insolvencies in Scotland

Q1 20002     448                                                                 35

Q4 2001       341                                                                 39

2001           1,509                                                               124

2000           1,474                                                               120

1999           1,529                                                               108