John Armstrong of the Construction Employers Federation said he believed Stormont ministers should invest further money in "capital infrastructure projects" to help the construction sector.

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Conservative MPs have called for tax cuts in the Budget later this month, while Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable has urged ministers to relax the stance on borrowing to allow more targeted spending on capital projects such as construction and transport.

BBC: UK Politics

In plain English, this means that any investments in pump-priming infrastructure projects, including capital construction schemes, had to be funded by savings in government spending as a whole.

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Innovative financing ideas and partnerships can help us reap the benefits of capital-intensive projects, such as energy retrofits, without the need to provide the upfront capital required for construction.

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But according to Andrew Wolstenholme, director of capital projects for the airport's operator BAA, and formerly director of construction for Terminal 5, the building being officially opened only represents a fraction of the total work completed.

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