Regular readers of this column may be shocked to find what purports to be support of the Government in parts of this piece. Rest assured, gentle reader, and please read on with as big a pinch of, if not quite sarcasm, then certainly irony, as you deem appropriate.

Dear Father Christmas

In my Christmas wish-list blog I asked Father Christmas for a Government that's prepared to listen to the construction industry and act upon some of its suggestions to help boost, not just construction, but the economy as a whole. Fat chance of that it seems.

Two weeks into the New Year and it all looks like it's going you-know-what up.

So, much of Britain hunkers down for another few days being hampered by the white stuff.

I'm trying to be positive, really I am.

I'll admit it. I was one of those who suggested that the "conservatory tax" would put people off having any RMI work done on their properties.

Normally, I'd say I'm quite pro-Europe. It has a lot going for it.

So, that nice boy George Osborne has been urged to slash the VAT rate for the building industry in today's Budget.

So the Government has decided that it needs to help small builders and tradesmen in the construction industry who may be struggling to get credit so that they can buy materials.