Jon Prichard, the MPA’s chief executive, said: “The Chancellor’s announcement on funding for Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage is welcome and important for the UK’s cement and lime producers. But following on from last week’s announcement of infrastructure delays, this Budget was a missed opportunity to address the longstanding challenges relating to the delivery of transport infrastructure projects and housing and the uncertainty that this creates.”
“MPA’s key ask in our Budget submission was to focus on making the UK a competitive proposition for investment. Full expensing of investment is very welcome, but we would still have rather not seen Corporation Tax increase and the super deduction gone, on top of other cost increases member businesses are facing.”
The MPA represents the largest materials flow in the UK economy as the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries. It represents 100% of UK cement and lime producers, 90% of aggregates producers, 95% of asphalt producers and over 70% of concrete production. In 2018, the industry supplied £16 billion worth of materials and services to the economy. It is also the largest supplier to the construction industry and one of the UK’s largest manufacturing sectors.
