Science and Tecnology Select Committee
Off-site manufacture for construction: Building for change

2nd Report of Session 2017-19 - published 19 July 2018 - HL Paper 169

Contents

Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction

The construction sector and background to the inquiry

Our inquiry

Structure of this report

Chapter 2: The case for off-site manufacture for construction

Definition and scope

Benefits of off-site manufacture

Quality of buildings and infrastructure

Client experience

Labour patterns and the experience of construction workers

Health and safety

Environmental factors and other externalities

Architectural ambition

Conclusions and recommendations

Chapter 3: Infrastructure, building and housing

Infrastructure

Hospitals, schools and prisons

Box 1: Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary

Box 2: Other examples

Horizontal infrastructure

Box 3: Crossrail

Box 4: Other examples

Housing

Box 5: Kidwells housing estate

Box 6: Athletes Village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games

International Comparisons

Chapter 4: Skills

Skills gap

Skills required for off-site manufacture

Skills training

Conclusions and recommendations

Chapter 5: Sector barriers to uptake

Sector fragmentation and lack of collaboration

Solutions to fragmentation

Collaboration

Systems integrators

Vertical integration

Box 7: Infrastructure Client Group Project 13

Figure 1: Traditional structures in the construction sector (left) and those proposed by Project 13 (right)

Business models in the construction sector

Financing and cash flow

Risk

Client knowledge and leadership

A pipeline of projects at scale

Chapter 6: Government actions to overcome barriers

Box 8: Levers available to Government

Construction Sector Deal

Digital agenda

Presumption in favour of off-site manufacture

Ensuring a pipeline of projects

Procuring for value

Sharing knowledge and best practice

Standards

Research and development

Summary of conclusions and recommendations

Appendix 1: List of Members and declarations of interest

Appendix 2: List of witnesses

Appendix 3: Call for evidence

Appendix 4: Seminar held at the House of Lords on 6 February 2018

Appendix 5: Seminar held at the House of Lords on 17 April 2018

Appendix 6: Committee visit to Laing O’Rourke Explore Industrial Park (EIP), Worksop on 22 May 2018

Appendix 7: Abbreviations, acronyms and technical terms

Evidence is published online at https://www.parliament.uk/off-site-manufacture-construction/ and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020 7219 3074).

Q in footnotes refers to a question in oral evidence.





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