Letter to members from the BMF


I hope that you, your colleagues and your family are keeping safe and well during this extraordinary period.

If the coronavirus has taught us one thing it is how quickly life can change. The speed of that change, whilst inevitable, led to many questions. I know that many of you were forced into difficult business decisions without definitive answers from Government, and that you remain concerned about your operations both during the COVID-19 crisis and afterwards.

I want to assure you that the BMF is here to help. We are representing your concerns directly into Government as the crisis unfolds, and we will continue to provide clear, accurate and up-to-date information to factor into your decision-making.

The BMF sits on the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) Construction Industry Task Force taking part in daily virtual briefings with Government and helping to co-ordinate the industry response to COVID-19. The Task Force facilitates communication between the whole construction industry and Government, sharing market intelligence and providing briefings and updates on issues of concern. Task Force members are the major trade associations representing both large and small firms in the construction sector, including contractors, product manufacturers, merchants and associated professional services as well as the Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). 

Through this forum the BMF is directly promoting the views and concerns of all our members. In the short time it has been meeting, we have achieved:

- Clarity on the status of builders merchants, with BEIS confirming that they are a vital part of the supply chain and should continue to operate and provide a key service to customers, while taking account of Public Health England guidance for online, delivery and store operations, which was also clarified.

- A letter from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, to pass on to merchant and manufacturing colleagues, personally paying tribute to them for working tirelessly through these challenging times and thanking them for their hugely valued and critical contribution to the resilience of our country.

- A co-ordinated appeal to the construction industry to donate surplus PPE equipment to the NHS, which I know many of you are doing.

- Following reports of delivery drivers’ being stopped by police, we secured a template letter confirming their Essential Worker Authorisation to continue. BEIS also liaised with the Home Office on this matter to ensure the police are well briefed on this Government guidance.

- Our industry is also suffering from public misconceptions about the work you are doing. From the communications the Task Force receives from Government, it is clear that they view building material manufacturers and suppliers and builders and plumbing & heating merchants as essential both during the COVID-19 pandemic and to enable construction to aid the UK’s economic recovery. 

This week the Task Force held a conference call with the Business and Industry Minister, Nadhim Zahawi to express our concerns, with five of the BMF’s largest members invited to join that call.  I have attached an article written by Mr Zahawi for the Daily Telegraph asking the public to stop sniping at businesses like yours. This makes it clear that the Government needs vital private businesses where people cannot work from home to continue their operations providing it is safe for them to do so.

We are also pressing the Prime Minister to put in place measures to reduce current cashflow pressures affecting every business within the construction industry and to show his clear support and recognition for the essential role they play in supporting public services and building homes. We have advised him this work will not be able to continue if there are difficulties securing products and materials because key construction product and material manufacturers and merchants can’t operate.

The BMF is also seeking more financial support for our community. This includes

- reducing the minimum furlough time from 3 weeks to 2 weeks, to enable merchants and building materials manufacturers who have temporarily closed to reopen as soon as they feel it is appropriate to do so.

- deferral or reduction of the Apprenticeship Levy for at least the next three months.

- including builders merchants in the 12 month business rates holiday currently available to retail businesses in England.

We understand that you cannot conduct “business as usual” during these exceptional times, but the BMF will continue to provide the information you need to make the best decisions for your business and to protect your colleagues and customers. 

You should be receiving our regular COVID-19 email bulletins and you will find the very latest information on our website which has a dedicated COVID-19 landing page that links to a comprehensive knowledge base including all the letters and information made available through the CLC Task Force, together with guides to the Government’s Job Retention Scheme, deferring VAT, business grants and loans.

To assist our construction colleagues and customers, we are also seeking to maintain a list showing the operational status of both merchant and supplier members during the crisis.  To ensure your business is included, please respond to the surveys being sent by Richard Ellithorne, or email your current status to [email protected].

These are unprecedented times, but please be assured that the BMF will continue do our utmost to ensure your business – and the whole of our industry -  is not only able to perform a vital role during the COVID-19 crisis but will also play a full part in the economic recovery once we have beaten the virus.