An Introduction to the Basic Concepts - Construction Economics: A New Approach - page 30

WEB REVIEWS: Effective Use of Resources
On working through Part A , the following websites should prove useful.
www.bis.gov.uk
Following the general election of May 2010, sponsorship of the construction
industry was transferred from the Department for Business Enterprise and
Regulatory Reform (which was abolished) to the Department for Business
Innovation and Skills. At the department's home page it is possible to select
a 'business sector' and navigate to construction, and from here it is easy to
download related statistics, up-to-date information on sustainable construction
and the low carbon agenda; these aspects were introduced in Chapter 1 .
Many of the other issues and reports referred to in the text are also supported.
According to its website one of the department's objectives 'is to secure an
efficient market in the construction industry, with innovative and successful
firms that meet the needs of clients and society while being competitive at home
and abroad'.
www.competition-commission.org.uk
www.oft.gov.uk
The Enterprise Act 2002 made major changes to UK competition law and
sets the legal framework for two agencies responsible for monitoring market
behaviour. The Competition Commission tends to focus on large firms
concentrating on mergers and maintaining a level of competitive tension
between companies, and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) seeks to protect
consumers against unfair market behaviour such as collusion. Their websites
include information on what is currently under enquiry, summaries of reports,
press releases, annual reviews and fuller information on their specific roles.
www.carol.co.uk
www.ft.com
Public limited companies must make their annual reports available to the public.
These two sites facilitate the process. Carol is the acronym for Company Annual
Reports Online, and an interesting development in recent years is that many
annual reports are now designed specifically for the Internet. Hard copies of
company reports can also be requested by phoning the Financial Times - and
www.ft.com provides the same opportunity online. This newspaper's website
also offers unrestricted access to every story in the current edition and its vast
archive. The site provides its own business search engine and the stated aim is to
be the leading Internet resource for business people everywhere. It is certainly of
use to students studying economics, especially as it is updated on a daily basis.
It may be of particular use if you follow the advice in Chapter 8 and choose to
study a specific construction firm.
www.ons.gov.uk
The Office for National Statistics is the UK government agency responsible for
compiling, analysing and disseminating official statistics on Britain's economy,
society and demography at a national and local level. Detailed data are available
from this site and it will enable the various statistical series used in this topic to
be updated.