The unpopular quango appears to have reached a backroom agreement with the Department for Education to safeguard its short-term future.

CITB cancelled the consensus due to take place later this summer and claims it will speak with employers and industry groups to consult on its plans.

We are lobbying against this undemocratic move as part of our campaign to improve training in the construction industry.

As our clients know, Hudson is involved in a long-running legal dispute with CITB which could see us become the largest levy payer and recipient of grants in history.

Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “It is shameful that CITB is using coronavirus to shield itself from being accountable to the industry it claims to support.

“This amounts to taxation without representation and will offend the countless hard-working entrepreneurs who are getting Britain building at this difficult time.

“With the vast majority of the industry back on sites - for example, NFB reports 80 per cent of members are active - there is no reason why the consensus process cannot go ahead.

“We can only conclude that CITB fears the democratic outcome and the board has decided if it cannot risk consensus it must avoid the process altogether.”

We are speaking to ministers, MPs and trade federations about our proposals for a simpler, fairer and more cost-effective alternative model for the funding and provision of skills development in our sector.

Multiple surveys have showed the construction industry, as represented by the supply chain of subcontractors and skilled trades, does not support CITB or its levy-raising powers.

CITB declined to cooperate with Hudson’s proposal for independent market research group YouGov to carry out a full consultation with levy payers.