Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Tackling Rogue Builders

13 June 2023 · 3 other contributors · 4,853 words

Opened by Mark Garnier Con Wyre Forest

Responding minister: Nigel Huddleston

HousingEnvironment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Mark Garnier raised concerns about tackling rogue builders in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Mr Garnier raised concerns about rogue builders causing financial and emotional distress to homeowners.
  • He cited surveys indicating up to 3 billion is lost annually due to fear of becoming a victim of rogue builders.
  • Mr Garnier called for the Government to work with the FMB to implement a licensing regime for builders.

Key requests to Government

Mr. Garnier asks the Government to work with him and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) to find a solution to prevent rogue builders from operating without consequence. He requests that the Department look into implementing a licensing regime for builders in the RM&I sector, which would protect consumers while benefiting legitimate businesses.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Mark Garnier Con Wyre Forest

Mr. Garnier is concerned about the issue of rogue builders in the repair, maintenance and improvement (RM&I) sector who prey on inexperienced homeowners, causing significant financial and emotional distress. He cites surveys indicating that up to £3 billion a year is lost due to fear of falling victim to rogues and mentions specific cases where victims faced substandard work and legal fees without recourse. He notes the lack of meaningful regulation for builders compared to other professionals involved in home improvement projects, highlighting the imbalance of jeopardy between victims and perpetrators.

Other contributors (3)
  • Daniel Poulter Con St Albans

    Suggests holding individuals responsible in a fiduciary manner, not just companies, to enable people to chase potential assets for successful litigation against rogue builders who go into liquidation. My hon. Friend noted that the cost of building works often exceeds £10,000, making small claims court redress unavailable to many victims of rogue builders.

  • Giles Watling Con East Worthing and Shoreham

    Shares an example of a constituent who paid £70,000 for restoration work but the house was left untenable and required another £70,000 to fix. He is amazed that the Government does not regulate rogue builders and highlights repeat offenders like his constituent's case where the builder had been involved in six liquidations. The Minister was thanked for allowing an intervention, questioning whether the reliance on 'buyer beware' has led to a lack of regulation that now needs addressing.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Commends the hon. Member for introducing the debate and highlights cases of shoddy workmanship in his constituency where people cannot afford costly litigation, suggesting a role for local authorities to take on such cases.

Government Response

Nigel Huddleston

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest on securing the debate, recognising his work in proposing a private Member's Bill to improve consumer protection from rogue builders. The Government are committed to ensuring high standards in the construction industry, with a turnover of £439 billion and employing 2.2 million people in about 430,000 firms as well as an additional 700,000 self-employed workers. However, there is genuine concern about consumer protection within the domestic repair, maintenance, and improvement sector where incompetent or dishonest firms exploit consumers. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out standards for services including building work, providing remedies if those rights are breached. TrustMark scheme was established to provide a single brand for quality schemes run within the industry that require participating firms and tradespeople to demonstrate competence and consumer redress is provided. The Government are working with the industry to ensure high standards of consumer protection are embedded in relation to domestic households. The Minister also mentioned the importance of balancing regulation not overburdening industry, noting live debates on these issues within government, while acknowledging ongoing discussions on improving the small claims court process and redress measures for disputes. On decarbonisation, the Government are working with the industry to ensure high standards of consumer protection in domestic household decarbonisation retrofit programmes.

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