Construction should not be overlooked by the Government in no-deal Brexit preparation says the Federation of Master Builders in response to the construction PMI data published last week showing that output in September declined at the second-sharpest pace since 2009.

The fall in staffing levels was the sixth in as many months and the strongest since the end of 2010. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “The construction industry accounts for 7% of the UK’s GDP and over 3m jobs. With ambitious infrastructure and house building targets, the Government can’t afford to lose any more capacity in this industry.”

Berry continued: “The PMI data picks up on material shortages and bottlenecks already, even before leaving the EU, and this is likely to be a major concern in the event of a no-deal. I urge the Government to work with the industry to ensure that key construction products, critical to the building work this country needs, such as timber, are not held up at ports across the country in a no-deal scenario.” 

The FMB added that a simple, flexible migration system for construction workers post-Brexit is essential if the Government is to meet its housing and infrastructure targets.