Government stats confirm CPA fears

Figures from the Office of National Statistics have confirmed Construction Products Association (CPA) fears, set out in its recent report Achievable Targets? Is Government Delivering?,  that the government is struggling to deliver key investment programmes for the built environment.

"These figures highlight industry concerns that the necessary investment is not getting through," said CPA's economics director Alan Wilen.

"The government is committed to raising public gross capital expenditure by 28% this year to £28.4bn. Our analysis of the public finance figures suggests that the government has committed just over half of these funds during the first nine months of 2002/03.

"While expenditure is typically skewed towards the end of the financial year, these figures show there is a considerable mountain to climb before April," he said.

In particular the government must address the issues surrounding the PFI process, the lack of in-house resources among local authorities and other bodies, and excessive planning delays, said the CPA.

"Our report found, for example, that improvements to the social housing stock have been seriously delayed by the slow progress of the large scale voluntary transfer programme while local road improvements are being frustrated as councils lack the necessary resources and expertise," added Wilén.

"The government must ensure that it does not get to the point where it is so far behind its targets that it cannot catch up."