Retentions axe will take three years to fall

Government plans to outlaw cash retentions in construction will take up to three years to fully bite once the new Commercial Payments Bill becomes law.
The Bill sets out the clearest route yet to scrap the hated retention system after decades of campaigning by subcontractors and specialist contractors.
Retentions see clients and main contractors hold back a slice of supply chain payments, usually until defects are fixed or a defects period expires.
Specialists have long argued the system drains