Increased Investment Fails to Deliver Government’s Targets

7 November 2007

Although government investment in public services and infrastructure has increased dramatically over the past ten years, many of the government’s own targets are still being missed or have been severely down graded, according to the latest report  by the Construction Products Association “Achievable Targets, is Government Delivering?”, which was released today (Wednesday) at a major industry lunch in London.

Launching the report, John Colley, President of the Association said:  “We welcome the government’s commitment to sustained long-term investment.  However, the money is only half the story.   Despite the enormous amounts of money now going into our schools, hospitals and other public works, the government’s targets in many cases are being missed. 

The recent Comprehensive Spending Review has shown further government commitment to increased spending.    The government must provide a long-term framework for its programmes, which should include clear targets for what the investment is intended to deliver, backed up by regular and reliable monitoring of progress achieved.  This should include the prompt delivery of existing commitments.”

The report also shows;

• In education, one of the government’s key aims is to rebuild or refurbish all 3,500 secondary schools over a ten to fifteen year period, under its Building Schools for the Future programme.  The target is already behind schedule and two and a half years in, the programme has only recently delivered its first new school with just another eight schools expected to open by the end of the year.
• In social housing, the target to increase the provision of new social housing to 45,000 a year by 2010/11 looks increasingly ambitious, given that the recent increases have brought the number of completions to only 24,000 a year.
• Many major transport schemes are only just being given the green light, years or even decades after they were first proposed.  The construction of new and improved roads is now at its lowest for a quarter of a century and despite government targets to curb congestion, average vehicle delays increased by almost 6% during 2006.
• In health the government has failed to deliver a promised 25% cut in the repair backlog on the NHS estate, which instead has grown by 19% to £3.7 billion.

Colley concluded:  “The Association believes the government has a great opportunity to build on the gains that have been achieved but stresses the importance for the government to ensure its commitment to deliver improved services is translated to work on the ground and that the vision becomes a reality.”