The Federation of Small Businesses has joined the call for the rate of VAT on construction work to be cut to 5%.
The small trader representative body says that this should take some of the pressure off small businesses.

Any builders merchant or plumbers merchant business wishing to support the industry charity The Rainy Day Trust can contact the charity for a free collection tin for trade counters.

Plumbers, builders merchants and plumbers merchants in Scotland are likely to see an increase in business if, as suggested today, the Scottish Parliament passes its Budget which includes a boiler scrappage scheme.

Builders and plumbers merchant buying group Cemco held the first of its two annual conferences today, taking as the theme "The Day After Tomorrow".

David Hebdon, md of builders merchant John Nicholls, opened the Cemco lightside conference with a look at what the group has done in the past year and why it was important to hold the event.

Builders merchant group Travis Perkins has raised over £850,000 for UK charities Action for Children and Mencap since 2007.

Cement manufacturer Lafarge Cement swept the board at the NBG LLP buying group supplier awards last month.

SNIPEF, the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation is urging the Scottish Government to bring in a boiler scrappage scheme similar to the English scheme announced in December.

The UK construction industry has been in decline for two years, but the rate of decline is now the slowest it has been in that time.

Boiler manufacturer Vaillant is investing £2million in a high profile nationwide TV advertising campaign.