Mark Prisk marks a year as construction minister by telling CN in an exclusive interview that bringing confidence back to a battered industry is still one of his biggest priorities (see page 14-15). We don't live in China so we can't expect our politicians to decree our problems away, but we should expect a focus on what works and a willingness to listen. The minister has fulfilled his promise and delivered on both, giving the stability that the post has lacked for many years and forming a good relationship with chief construction adviser Paul Morrell. In this exclusive interview, Mr Prisk holds up the infrastructure plan as a key government achievement and says regulation will only be part of the driver for delivering a low-carbon industry. He also praises the Construction Products Association's "very good evidence" that official figures about the state of the industry may be dangerously wrong. Statistics matter as they can seriously damage confidence across the industry just when it is needed most.
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