Boris is right; infrastructure needs a single government champion, says Nelson Ogunshakin.

Earlier this month the Evening Standard newspaper reported that Mayor of London Boris Johnson would be keen to see the government establish a new Department for Infrastructure (DfI), with a secretary of state sitting in cabinet. This role would, according to the paper, combine responsibility for transport, business, and housing.

This is not a new idea, however. Back in April 2010, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering published its own report, highlighting the potential benefits of appointing someone to take the broadest possible view of the infrastructure piece. Combine this with the renewed emphasis being place on investment and development of new infrastructure, and it seems this might be an idea whose time has come.

Industry has long suggested that a single point of contact, or fixer, driving delivery, working across government and the infrastructure sector to overcome blockages, was an idea worth pursuing. Working alongside the National Infrastructure Plan Strategic Engagement Forum (NIPSEF), a Secretary of State for Infrastructure would be a powerful voice, and have equivalent standing alongside the great offices of state that it deserves.

"There were some differences between the models proposed by ACE and Boris, however. As stated above, the latter suggested housing should be in the remit of the position but ACE research indicates this area might be better served continuing in the hands of local authorities."

Other potential benefits ranging from cost savings from eliminating duplicate roles, revenue generation from selling off buildings, greater potential for outsourcing, and more effective programme management could be also be realised if a DfI were created. Lessons could also be learnt from those countries like Australia, Canada, and Japan, that already have integrated approaches to infrastructure leadership.

There were some differences between the models proposed by ACE and Boris, however. As stated above, the latter suggested housing should be in the remit of the position but ACE research indicates this area might be better served continuing in the hands of local authorities.

ACE additionally put forward that water and strategic waste from the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), as well as energy from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) would be better served within a DfI. DECC’s responsibility for mitigating climate change would then pass to DEFRA, which already leads on adaptation strategies, meaning it could then be abolished altogether.

Whatever Boris’s motives for proposing this idea, it is not one without merit, and must be considered by all the political parties vying for power as we enter the general election period.

Nelson Ogunsakin is chief executive of the Association for Consultancy & Engineering