Autumn Statement Gives Some Cause for Cautious Optimism

LIVERPOOL, England, December 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Comment to be attributed to Michael Dall, lead economist at construction intelligence specialist, Barbour ABI

Today's Autumn Statement gave some cause for cautious optimism for housing but we feel the announcements made are largely just tinkering around the edges. Plans such as £1bn investment in infrastructure over six years to unlock large housing sites only scratch the surface in tackling the UK's housing shortfall.

With Help to Buy only set to run until 2015, it's possible that the £1bn loan plan announced today will help create a legacy for housing beyond the year after next, but we're yet to see the detail in George Osborne's plans for this extra cash.

About Barbour ABI:

Barbour ABI is a leading provider of construction intelligence services. With a team of in-house research specialists and a dedicated lead economist, it provides commercially relevant insight and unique analysis of trends and developments within the building and construction industry.

Barbour ABI is the chosen provider of industry data and indicators for Government bodies including the Office for National Statistics and the UK Government's Construction and Infrastructure Pipeline, which outlines future construction and infrastructure projects where public funding is agreed. Barbour ABI also provides data for independent organisations, such as the Construction Products Association.

Barbour ABI is part of global events-led marketing services and communications company, UBM, and is headquartered in Cheshire Oaks, Cheshire.

For more information, please visit http://www.barbour-abi.com

About UBM:    
UBM helps businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and sellers together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing news and specialist content. Its 5,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into expert teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.    

For more information, go to http://www.ubm.com; follow us on Twitter at @UBM_plc to get the latest UBM corporate news.

To arrange an interview with Michael, contact Jo Hart or Sarah Whittle at Tangerine PR on +44(0)161-817-6600.

Notes to editors:
Press enquiries to:
Jo Hart or Sarah Whittle at Tangerine PR
e: jo.hart@tangerinepr.com / sarah.whittle@tangerinepr.com
t: +44(0)161-817-6600 f: +44(0)161-817-6601