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QM future depends on North West test
12:15 13 Nov 2003
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Future funding for Quality Mark (QM) could hinge on the success of
its biggest ever launch in the North West.
The Department of Trade & Industry's (DTI) investment committee will closely monitor results in the region and a decision on whether to inject more cash into the scheme is expected in two weeks.
The DTI has already received QM's business plan for the next seven years which calls for an extra £28m in funds and sets a target of 45,000 members to be signed up to QM so that it can be sustained by a stand-alone membership fee structure.
Around 1,800 domestic builders are expected to attend the nine events in the three-week North West launches which started last Monday (27 October). However, despite heavy advertising and 10 previous regional pilot schemes, only 500 members have signed up to the initiative so far.
QM's organisers are confident that major changes to the scheme, which include a reduction in its half a dozen certification bodies, which have not been up to speed in the past on the users' needs, will see the number of members boosted.
"With the changes I would be disappointed if we couldn't now get companies signed up within three weeks. In the past it could have taken much longer," said Rethinking Construction's project director Peter Bishop, who works on behalf of the DTI to help boost the scheme.
Options are also being considered that would empower warranty underwriters to carry out the financial vetting of a company to help reduce bureaucracy. In the past this has been the responsibility of the applicant.
Bishop is also in discussions with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to introduce reductions in Building Regulations charges for those signed up to QM.
To help prompt payment for builders, credit card processing machines might soon be distributed to QM builders for customers to use when work has been completed.
The scheme has also ditched any mention of "cowboy builders" in its literature and advertising after what it called a "negative reaction" from the building trade when the scheme started up.
The Department of Trade & Industry's (DTI) investment committee will closely monitor results in the region and a decision on whether to inject more cash into the scheme is expected in two weeks.
The DTI has already received QM's business plan for the next seven years which calls for an extra £28m in funds and sets a target of 45,000 members to be signed up to QM so that it can be sustained by a stand-alone membership fee structure.
Around 1,800 domestic builders are expected to attend the nine events in the three-week North West launches which started last Monday (27 October). However, despite heavy advertising and 10 previous regional pilot schemes, only 500 members have signed up to the initiative so far.
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QM's organisers are confident that major changes to the scheme, which include a reduction in its half a dozen certification bodies, which have not been up to speed in the past on the users' needs, will see the number of members boosted.
"With the changes I would be disappointed if we couldn't now get companies signed up within three weeks. In the past it could have taken much longer," said Rethinking Construction's project director Peter Bishop, who works on behalf of the DTI to help boost the scheme.
Options are also being considered that would empower warranty underwriters to carry out the financial vetting of a company to help reduce bureaucracy. In the past this has been the responsibility of the applicant.
Bishop is also in discussions with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to introduce reductions in Building Regulations charges for those signed up to QM.
To help prompt payment for builders, credit card processing machines might soon be distributed to QM builders for customers to use when work has been completed.
The scheme has also ditched any mention of "cowboy builders" in its literature and advertising after what it called a "negative reaction" from the building trade when the scheme started up.
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