BSRIA has responded to this week’s Government’s Cabinet reshuffle in which Amber Rudd has replaced Greg Barker in a Ministerial role at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Rudd will take responsibility for programmes such as the Green Deal, Feed-in Tariffs, and Renewable Heat Incentive, as well as the Green Investment Bank, international climate change and green jobs and skills.

BSRIA chief executive Julia Evans (pictured) said: “We are delighted to see Amber Rudd appointed to this key role; we believe this to be one of the most important roles in Government. There are some important pieces of policy that need to be actioned before the end of this Parliament to provide industry with the leadership it needs to deliver the energy efficient targets.”

Another key change is the appointment of Matthew Hancock as the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise where his remit will include both construction and the low carbon economy; he is also Minister of State for Energy. Hancock was previously the Minister for Skills, and BSRIA hopes that his experience can be utilised in addressing both the current skills shortage that the construction industry faces and the investment in training needed to meet future requirements driven by changing processes and technologies.

Ms Evans said: “As both Ministers get to know their new teams it is vital that they recognise the challenges and issues that currently surround our industry and engage immediately with the stakeholders so we can work together to build a prosperous and sustainable future.”