Kent Group

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Kent Group's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Kent Group is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.kentgroup.com

1KENT GROUP |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Director Ian Kent

Signalling Power WCML

First established in 1987, Kent Group is made up of three

companies: IHC Engineering and the two UK rail companies

which constitute Kent PHK Ltd in Scotland. Based in a head

office in Nottingham, the company was established by Paul

Kent aided by a family friend and his two sons, Kevin and Ian.

The business remains family run to this day and now employs

over 120 full-time staff and has an annual turnover of circa £18

million. Director Ian Kent tells

The Parliamentary Review

about

the company’s commitment to safety and the problems that

surround control periods in the rail industry.

Delivering electrical and mechanical engineering to the UK’s railways, highways

and industry, we pride ourselves on making the difference to our clients through

challenging traditional industry methods and ensuring engineering assurance and

cost-efficiency is of foremost importance.

Having seen the business diversify and grow from its early beginnings, I still feel

the need to ensure this continues and we aim to increase our offering to make

certain that our market share is not only sustained but increased. This growth and

investment is planned despite the current uncertainty in the UK but is essential for the

expected demand on our network.

The rail side of the business

In the UK, we work primarily for a small handful of rail clients including Siemens and

Network Rail with whom we go back to Railtrack and British Rail days. Wedeliver

FACTS ABOUT

KENT GROUP

»Director: Ian Kent

»Established in 1987

»Based in Nottingham and

Glasgow

»Services: Electrical, mechanical

and civil engineering

»No. of employees: 120

»Turnover: circa £18 million

»NIC & EIC approved

»IET Enterprise Partners

»www.kentgroup.com

Kent Group

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| KENT GROUP

electrification and plant projects

from early development to design,

construction and commissioning.

We undertake a diverse range of

services which can see our staff work

in the deepest tunnels in London to

the top of mountains in Glencoe.

Even after 31 years in this industry, I

am often still surprised by what it takes

to keep trains running on time on this

Victorian infrastructure. Programmes

Paddington Station 24/7

and the

superb documentary on Crossrail go

some way but I still think the public

would be very surprised to see what it

really takes, and perhaps a little more

considerate to the many thousands of

staff committed to delivering a better

future for our railways.

As an SME and a family business, we

have had to work extremely hard to

achieve success in this industry, and

we have done this with no support,

government grants or bank loans but

through reinvestment of the profits we

make back into the business. Ourwork

ethic comes from our father and the

four brothers who were brought up on

this and we have had to learn how to

best mentor and enthuse our workforce

and supply chain. This is not easy; it’s

not just a case of throwing money at

issues but is about finding like-minded

people to grow and develop with us

while recognising any weakness and

the need for improvement.

All the directors have a strong

engineering background, and we

have strong links with The Institution

of Engineering and Technology with

whom we are enterprise partners. This

helps us to recruit and develop our staff

and facilitates education and interface

with other industries and academia.

We have a long-term apprenticeship

programme that has seen continual

growth for over 25 years, and we

currently have fiveapprentices.

Our engineering business is also a

diverse operation, and we work on

projects which range from staircases

and footbridges to smart motorway

structures and even a chimney

extension at Guys Hospital.

Safety is the foremost priority of the

industry and remains our key focus. We

continually look to innovate and remove

risk wherever possible, and having held

a Personal Track Safety Card for over 30

years, I am fully aware of the dangers on

site. These are unlike any other industry:

we have to deal with exposed high-

voltage electrical systems. It takes a vast

degree of planning and competence

to access these sites. Despite the many

hazards, workforce safety has seen

massive improvements over the past ten

years, which is a credit to all who work

in the field as well as the professionalism

of the teams they support.

In the past nine years, there have been

no passenger fatalities as a result of

a train derailment or collision. This

makes the UK the safest major railway

in Europe and one of the safest in

theworld.

Guys Hospital roof

extension (above);

principal supply point

(below)

Even after 31

years in this

industry, I am

often still

surprised by

what it takes

to keep trains

running on

time on this

Victorian

infrastructure

“

3KENT GROUP |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

The problems surrounding

control periods

Funding in the railway industry is

completed in control periods, and

on April 1, we saw Control Period

6 commence with an estimated

government spend of £42 billion

approved for a five-year period. The

problem this has always brought to

the industry is the delay in starting a

control period and the need to have

sufficient projects developed in the

previous period to ensure we hit the

ground running rather than play catch-

up. This makes any business working in

the rail industry very nervous to invest

during this transition, but we have

looked more holistically and aim to be

in prime position to support ourclients.

The railway is very cyclical, and

strategies and processes that fall by

the wayside are often reintroduced

in another form some years later.

For example, contracting strategies

such as hub and spoke were almost

abolished due to poor performances

and cost impacts when delayed but are

slowly being reintroduced without due

reflection of the past.

Politics and public support play a key

part in this industry, and over the past 30

years, we have seen a lot of the good,

the bad and the downright ugly. Once

Brexit is finally resolved, hopefully we can

all get back to the day job and ensure

this country is running at an optimallevel.

This needs to be underpinned by a

good government which supports

industries to thrive and communities to

flourish, ensuring we all have a better

future. The recently introduced term

“career politicians” hits the nail on the

head, and it’s these individuals who

need to take a look in the mirror and

get back on board with supporting the

people whom theyrepresent.

These are exciting times with the

continued introduction of smart

motorways to improve Britain’s roads,

HS2, the opening of Crossrail and the

new European Train Control System.

The digital railway is set to be introduced

on the key London North Eastern route,

and the commissioning of phases 1-2 in

2022 to 2024 will be the spearhead of

a new, more cost-effective solution for

the travelling public. We aim to be a key

part of these once-in-a-lifetime projects.

These are

exciting times

in the UK rail

industry

“

Our team in Glasgow

Our team in Mansfield

www.kentgroup.com

This article was sponsored by Kent Group. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster