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Construction: Licensing

Asked by Mr Lee DillonLiberal DemocratDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 13 April 2026UIN 123893

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered introducing a mandatory licensing scheme for building companies.

Answered by Chris McDonald

The Government is fully committed to implementing the Grenfell Inquiry recommendation that principal contractors working on higher-risk buildings should be licenced through a scheme managed by the Building Safety Regulator. We have accepted this recommendation as an important step in enhancing building safety standards.

We continue to engage with stakeholders as to whether a wider licencing scheme would improve standards of consumer protection. This work is progressing alongside our broader initiatives to enhance competency across the construction sector through the Industry Competence Committee, ensuring a comprehensive approach to raising standards throughout the industry.

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