Speeches by Gibson.

“Does the fact that you do not have up-to-date data mean that you are missing an opportunity to develop recommendations with elements that might adapt, whether they are, as you said, nature-based solutions for external spaces, external protection for west-facing windows, or any of the other obvious things?”

“I have a background in the construction industry, so forgive me. There is an interesting point that has come up quite often: a lot of the volume house builders have been talking about the fact that heat pumps take up quite a lot of space. You said semi-detached is perfect. Certainly in their most economy houses, for ex…”

“One quick question on skills. Before I start, I am just going to declare an interest: prior to this role, I was Director of Studies at the University of Bath in part three, training architects in their professional part. I was interested that architects were mentioned so lightly, and I would just like to say that one o…”

“That makes a lot of sense. Sorry, Ms Searle. I did not mean not to bring you in; I just wanted to make sure he had finished that point.”

“Yes, I just wanted to clarify that point and then I will bring Ms Searle in. If an energy product is rated at a low VAT rate or a zero VAT rate, the work to install that should be rated at the same—”

“At the report stage, the recordings and data and such like.”

“What about offsite construction in terms of reducing our requirement for skills so that more of our skilled construction workers could be concentrating on the more difficult things, like retrofit, which you mentioned?”

“Thank you. I do not know if either of the other two want to come in on that.”

“Thank you. Dr Howard, I do not know whether you—”

“Leading by example. Thank you, that is very helpful. Thank you all.”

“It is certainly a cost saving but it increases the embodied carbon of that project dramatically.”

“What areas of technology do you think might be able to help?”

“If you are doing energy-efficient improvements, if the product is zero rated—”

“That is good to hear. One very final question. We are seeing Homes England in the next few weeks, and I just wondered—first to Mr Berry—what role you think Homes England could play in supporting the development of a skilled workforce in low-carbon construction and sustainable housing delivery, specifically aimed at SME…”

“Yes, I just wanted to clarify that point and then I will bring Ms Searle in. If an energy product is rated at a low VAT rate or a zero VAT rate, the work to install that should be rated at the same—”

“Thank you. Then a slight change of tack: questions for Mr Berry to do with SMEs supporting the Government’s goal to build the 1.5 million homes. I share your thoughts—we need these biblical type skills, especially in the smaller construction sites where other systems are just not appropriate—but I just wondered what im…”

“Thank you. I do not know if either of the other two want to come in on that.”

“Leading by example. Thank you, that is very helpful. Thank you all.”

“That is good to hear. One very final question. We are seeing Homes England in the next few weeks, and I just wondered—first to Mr Berry—what role you think Homes England could play in supporting the development of a skilled workforce in low-carbon construction and sustainable housing delivery, specifically aimed at SME…”

“Thank you. Then a slight change of tack: questions for Mr Berry to do with SMEs supporting the Government’s goal to build the 1.5 million homes. I share your thoughts—we need these biblical type skills, especially in the smaller construction sites where other systems are just not appropriate—but I just wondered what im…”