The move follows widespread exasperation voiced by the industry over the slow client take-up of what was hailed as the industry standard of registered contractors. Constructionline, set up in July 1998, is owned by the DETR and operated by information services firm Capita.
Chief executive of the National Specialist Contractors Council Grenville Weltch said specialists would pull out of the scheme if they did not feel clients were committed to it.
He said: "Our members feel strongly that there should be a single register, but we want to identify problems and see what we can do to help." He was concerned that government agencies and local authorities were shunning Constructionline and continuing with their own lists of approved contractors instead.
Weltch said: "Constructionline is not fulfilling its objectives. It needs more resources; it is trying to run with too much and is making promises it cannot keep." A meeting has been set up between the specialist contractors, Constructionline's chief executive Chris Leggett and DETR officials on 21 November.
A Constructionline spokesperson said the scheme was used by a number of big clients, including NHS Estates and 250 local authorities.
She said: "We are aware of the reservations some local authorities have about the register and we are working hard to change that, but it is a matter of education. We should be used by every local authority and sincerely hope we will be soon. We stand by our results." She added that both clients and contractors were being kept informed of the scheme's growth. Capita predicts that the scheme will contain 25 000 companies and be accessed by 1000 clients by 2001.
Don Ward, chief executive of the Construction Industry Board, said government clients preferred to use schemes they considered better suited to their needs. "Government clients are using sector-specific systems, such as lists for rail or civil engineering. They see these as offering added value because of their extra information. The DETR ought to control this. In the long term, merging with other lists may not be a bad thing."
