Just some quick notes on 5 issues coming out of the budget for the construction industry with its obvious implications for procurement activity:

1. The “Help to Buy” scheme (with its echoes of Margaret Thatcher’s ‘Right to Buy’). Equity loan of 20% to all buyers of new build hoses, repayable on first sale.

2. “Build to Rent” fund extended to £1bn from £200m.

3. Affordable Homes Guarantee programme doubled to support an additional 15,000 affordable homes by 2015.

4. Construction will share in the £1.6bn funding committed to support the Industry Partnerships initiative.

5. For 2013-14 the Aggregates Levy will remain at £2 per tonne.