Tory MP wants urgent debate on 鈥渃owboy and dodgy builders鈥�
A Conservative MP has called for 鈥榙isreputable鈥� construction firms to be blacklisted by the Communities Department and local authorities.
Mark Pritchard, Conservative MP for The Wrekin constituency in Shropshire, announced in the House of Commons that an 鈥渦rgent debate on cowboy and dodgy builders鈥� was required to protect the green belt.
He said: 鈥淚s it not time that the Department for Communities and Local Government had a black list of companies so that it could warn local authorities not to deal with those that destroy wildlife and have disreputable financial backgrounds?鈥�
In particular, Pritchard鈥檚 gripe was with Irish contractor Bovale. He said Bovale鈥檚 reputation was 鈥渁t best dodgy鈥�, a reference to accusations made against director Michael Bailey that he had bribed Irish planning minister Ray Burke during the 1980s. He also accused them of 鈥渄estroying large parts of Shropshire.鈥�
Labour MP Helen Goodman said Pritchard made a 鈥渟erious point鈥� and said the behaviour of the industry is under consideration by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform following the Office of Fair Trading鈥檚 cover-pricing allegations.
