Andrew Eastwell of BSRIA discusses the future of the construction industry following last week's Budget.

With so very little to give away, the Chancellor has chosen to use what spare money there is protect the reduced 0.6% growth now expected by the OBR in 2013/14.

Housing gets significant attention with welcome boosts for additional buyer support in shared equity schemes and interest-free deposit loans on new houses.

With recent good news on the increases in mortgage applications last quarter we may at last see some growth in this sector.

Signalled too is a wider adoption of Lord Heseltine’s regionalisation plans to devolve spending away from central government and into enterprise zones.

This too could be helpful in energising construction where times continue to be really hard beyond the London orbit.

Andrew Eastwell is chief executive of BSRIA (owned by The Building Services Research and Information Association).