The UK's Construction Products Assoc, submitted an 8-point blueprint to the Chancellor to get the government to commit to its capital expenditure plans,to stimulate the country's construction industry. In terms of investment in buildings, the UK remains at the bottom of the EC league at 8% of GDP, (12% average). The blueprint calls for various incentives, including a reduction to 5% VAT on home renovations & alterations, abandonment of the proposed aggregates tax, greater support for energy efficient measures & wider criteria for negotiating the climate change levy. They also believe that the white paper by the EU Commission on Environmental Liability is unnecessarily harsh & may incur additional costs for its members. The paper aims to set a legal framework for the strict accountability of pollution damage & environmental accidents.
