FMB Annual Parliamentary Reception 2022

This September, we were thrilled to return to the House of Lord’s for our annual parliamentary reception. It’s an event we host each year to celebrate the achievements of our organisation and to project your voice to both politicians and the wider industry.

The event was kindly sponsored by B&CE and hosted by Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Stunell. We had a line-up of fantastic speakers from the Government and Opposition who focused on the need to retrofit the nation’s homes and the vital role that small, local builders play in the UK economy.

What was said?

Brian Berry, FMB Chief Executive used the event as an opportunity to shine a light on the pivotal role members have in improving the efficiency of our homes, especially in light of recent hikes in heating costs. He urged a ‘war time’ urgency to prioritise a National Retrofit Strategy as it can deliver growth, jobs and savings, during a time when we all face unprecedented costs, and the economic outlook looks uncertain. He also highlighted the FMB’s latest upcoming research in partnership with IPPR, ‘Train Local, Work Local, Stay Local’, which is a first of its kind report to track how retrofit activity will create jobs and opportunities in the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) sector.

The IPPR report will launch on 21 September, 2022 and we'll be discussing it with our members at the 2022 FMB Building Conference on 8 November. Tickets are available online to the conference, which is being held both in person in London and online.

The Construction Minister, Lord Callanan, spoke of the value of the UK’s small housebuilders and praised their adaptability. He also went on to note the ongoing Government initiatives to help bring about a change in energy efficiency of our homes. But as noted previously in our asks to the new Prime Minister, we believe there is more for government to do to support the sector.

Bill Esterson MP, Shadow Minister for Business and Industry, from the Labour Party, committed to work with the FMB to push forward energy improvements to homes and a create a comprehensive skills plan. He made clear that the Labour Party were fully behind a nationwide plan for retrofit and praised the work of the FMB in championing the National Retrofit Strategy.

Nicola Sinclair, Head of the Charitable Trust and Construction Industry Liaison at B&CE, spoke about the Trust’s financial and emotional support for those working in construction, and B&CE’s 80 years’ support for the industry through its pension schemes. She pledged support for Pensions Minister Guy Opperman’s initiative to introduce a new Pensions Engagement Season – as a way to help people find their pensions, discover how much they have saved and plan for their futures. Click below to download and view Nicola's speech in full.

Why these events matter

This event had a brilliant turnout with near 130 joining us in the Palace of Westminster. It helps to project the FMB to a wide audience of influential people. Attendees included many Lords, MPs and industry stakeholders, who we will continue to work with to push forward our members’ needs. At the event we asked for a reduction in VAT on all RMI work so savings can be passed onto customers, as they tighten their belts and we pushed for the Government to adopt a nationwide programme of retrofitting. 

We were especially pleased to hear praise for the FMB’s work from the speakers. This means that we’re having a real impact, which ultimately results in your voice being heard at the highest levels. Only two days after the event, Shadow Minister, Bill Esterson, visited one of our members sites to see what a retrofit in progress really looks like. 

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More information

For more information on the work of the FMB policy team, please visit our campaign page.

You can also contact the team on [email protected]