Successful energy policy will be one of the defining issues for the next Parliament according to the Construction Products Association, which has called on all parties to address this critical concern in the lead up to the general election.

Speaking at the launch of the Association’s Key Priorities for the New Government, the Chief Executive Michael Ankers said: "If we are to see a sustained economic recovery, a secure long term supply of energy at competitive prices is absolutely essential.

"Each of the main political parties has set out its energy strategy, but there is an urgent need to commit to develop a fully-costed programme for delivery within 12 months of being elected. Unless product manufacturers and suppliers have confidence in the next government’s intent to address this issue, they will not invest in the UK, undermining economic recovery as well as attempts to rebalance the economy through a greater focus on manufacturing and construction.

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"There are two sides to the energy equation and one of the most effective ways of securing our long term supply is to ensure that we do not waste the energy we produce. We therefore also want the new government to commit to developing a detailed long term programme for improving the energy efficiency of the existing building stock within the same 12 month period, identifying interim targets and the funding mechanisms needed to achieve this."

Energy was one of four principle areas that the Association wants the main political parties to act on in their first year in office. The others are:

• To ensure that in this year’s Comprehensive Spending Review the net public sector capital investment does not fall below 2.25% of GDP, in order to help stimulate the economic recovery and provide the social and environmental benefits that derive from improvements in the built environment

• To develop a long term Infrastructure Plan supported by funding through an Infrastructure Bank to ensure that the UK has a transport infrastructure that helps business maintain competitiveness

• To improve the mechanisms for ensuring compliance with building regulations, so that we can be more confident that what these regulations seek to achieve is actually delivered

The Association’s Key Priorities also include increasing the number of social homes being built to 50,000 each year by 2012, committing to the delivery of Crossrail and undertaking an urgent review of the impact of the planning system on business investment and introducing measures that will speed up the time in which applications are decided.

(GK)