The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has welcomed key policies set out in the Labour Party's general election manifesto.

In its publication, the party has pledged to build 100,000 'affordable' homes each year if elected.

In addition, Labour said the building of new homes, including council homes, will be made a priority through its National Transformation Fund, as part of a joined-up industrial and skills strategy that "ensures a vibrant construction sector with a skilled workforce and rights at work".

Commenting on the proposal, Chief Executive of the FMB Brian Berry said the party's pledge to integrate housing and skills policy is "the right approach to tackling two of the key challenges we face in the building industry".

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"We are building too few homes in every part of the UK and this problem is exacerbated by the construction skills shortage," he said.

"Jeremy Corbyn has said that freedom of movement would end under a Labour Government and it is therefore right that the Party has a clear plan to build the homes we need and train the people we need to build them.

"It is a strength of the Labour manifesto that it has such a clear focus on apprenticeships and high quality training. The commitment to doubling the number of NVQ Level 3 apprenticeships by 2020 will be well-received by small construction firms."

Mr Berry added while its targets on house building are also welcome, "there is little to address the fundamental issue of industry capacity".

"Whichever party is in government after the General Election, a council house building programme would be a catalyst for boosting the capacity of the SME house building sector," he continued.

"This would follow the recommendations of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee last year, which identified the sector's vulnerability to the economic cycle as being a constant danger to the overall capacity of the house building industry. Ensuring that public sector house building contracts are opened up to SMEs is one key way the Government can buck the usual boom and bust economic cycle and maintain house building capacity."

(LM/MH)