Policy interest rates in the U.S. and Europe are forecasted to decrease gradually between 2024 and 2027, following exceptional increases triggered by soaring inflation between 2021 and 2023. The U.S. federal funds rate stood at **** percent at the end of 2023, the European Central Bank deposit rate at **** percent, and the Swiss National Bank policy rate at **** percent. With inflationary pressures stabilizing, policy interest rates are forecast to decrease in each observed region. The U.S. federal funds rate is expected to decrease to *** percent, the ECB refi rate to **** percent, the Bank of England bank rate to **** percent, and the Swiss National Bank policy rate to **** percent by 2025. An interesting aspect to note is the impact of these interest rate changes on various economic factors such as growth, employment, and inflation. The impact of central bank policy rates The U.S. federal funds effective rate, crucial in determining the interest rate paid by depository institutions, experienced drastic changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The subsequent slight changes in the effective rate reflected the efforts to stimulate the economy and manage economic factors such as inflation. Such fluctuations in the federal funds rate have had a significant impact on the overall economy. The European Central Bank's decision to cut its fixed interest rate in June 2024 for the first time since 2016 marked a significant shift in attitude towards economic conditions. The reasons behind the fluctuations in the ECB's interest rate reflect its mandate to ensure price stability and manage inflation, shedding light on the complex interplay between interest rates and economic factors. Inflation and real interest rates The relationship between inflation and interest rates is critical in understanding the actions of central banks. Central banks' efforts to manage inflation through interest rate adjustments reveal the intricate balance between economic growth and inflation. Additionally, the concept of real interest rates, adjusted for inflation, provides valuable insights into the impact of inflation on the economy.

After a period of rapid increase, house price growth in the UK has moderated. In 2025, house prices are forecast to increase by ****percent. Between 2025 and 2029, the average house price growth is projected at *** percent. According to the source, home building is expected to increase slightly in this period, fueling home buying. On the other hand, higher borrowing costs despite recent easing of mortgage rates and affordability challenges may continue to suppress transaction activity. Historical house price growth in the UK House prices rose steadily between 2015 and 2020, despite minor fluctuations. In the following two years, prices soared, leading to the house price index jumping by about 20 percent. As the market stood in April 2025, the average price for a home stood at approximately ******* British pounds. Rents are expected to continue to grow According to another forecast, the prime residential market is also expected to see rental prices grow in the next five years. Growth is forecast to be stronger in 2025 and slow slightly until 2029. The rental market in London is expected to follow a similar trend, with Outer London slightly outperforming Central London.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, notably rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated jump of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6 billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing over the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated (2021-2023), being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent prices to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this has started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, PropTech—technology-driven innovations designed to improve and streamline the real estate industry—will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate sector. A notable application of PropTech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

The financial and operational success of property development markets depends on a range of socio-economic factors, such as property values, market sentiment and credit conditions. Building project developers' revenue is forecast to slide at a compound annual rate of 3.2% to £35.8 billion over the five years through 2024-25. The economic shock caused by the pandemic had a devastating impact on property development market in 2020-21. Severe supply chain and market disruption caused sentiment to wane and transaction activity fell, while property values initially depreciated and rental fee income stalled. Revenue rebounded in 2021-22, aided by low interest rates, house price inflation and a stronger than anticipated initial economic recovery from the pandemic. Nonetheless, revenue remained below pre-pandemic levels as growth was hindered by a further net deficit on revaluation of assets and lower rental income in office and brick-and-mortar retail markets. The fallout from the pandemic has caused developers to re-align investment towards lower-risk real estate markets which are likely to be more resilient to price shocks. Inaflationary pressures and rising interest rates spurred a further hit to portfolio valuations, discouraging developers from pursuing new developments. Revenue is forecast to grow by 2.5% in the current year, as interest rate cuts spur renewed growth in property values. Revenue is slated to climb at a compound annual rate of 1.3% to reach £38.2 billion over the five years through 2029-30. Following recent interest rate cuts, more stable economic conditions are set to continue to support improved sentiment in the near-term, spurring developers to pursue new ventures. Opportunities for growth are set to be most prominent in high-yield office markets and the technology sector, with growing use of artificial intelligence set to drive demand for the development and construction of data centres. Loosened planning policy is set to drive momentum in residential real estate markets, though more will need to be done for the government to achieve ambitious housebuilding targets.

In 2024, the annual inflation rate for the United Kingdom was 2.5 percent, with the average rate for 2025 predicted to rise to 3.2 percent, revised upwards from an earlier prediction of 2.6 percent. The UK has only recently recovered from a period of elevated inflation, which saw the CPI rate reach 9.1 percent in 2022, and 7.3 percent in 2023. Despite an uptick in inflation expected in 2025, the inflation rate is expected to fall to 2.1 percent in 2026, and two percent between 2027 and 2029. UK inflation crisis Between 2021 and 2023, inflation surged in the UK, reaching a 41-year-high of 11.1 percent in October 2022. Although inflation fell to more usual levels by 2024, prices in the UK had already increased by over 20 percent relative to the start of the crisis. The two main drivers of price increases during this time were food and energy inflation, two of the main spending areas of UK households. Although food and energy prices came down quite sharply in 2023, underlying core inflation, which measures prices rises without food and energy, remained slightly above the headline inflation rate throughout 2024, suggesting some aspects of inflation had become embedded in the UK economy. Inflation rises across in the world in 2022 The UK was not alone in suffering from runaway inflation over the last few years. From late 2021 onwards, various factors converged to encourage a global acceleration of prices, leading to the ongoing inflation crisis. Blocked-up supply chains were one of the main factors as the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by energy and food inflation skyrocketing after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Central bank interest rates were raised globally in response to the problem, possibly putting an end to the era of cheap money that has defined monetary policy since the financial crash of 2008.

The UK is the largest European centre for the management of private equity (PE) investments and funds, second only to the US in terms of global importance. PE firms pool investment funds or use leverage to purchase other companies. Their goal is to improve a company's performance by introducing managerial and operational changes, before selling the company for a profit. More CEOs are wanting to retain control of their companies, increasing the number of minority stake buyouts. PE firms profit from management fees, calculated as a percentage of AUM, and performance fees on the total return from the invested company's IPO or sale to another company. Revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.6% to £4.6 billion over the five years through 2024-25, including growth of 4.9% in 2024-25. Following a short-lived halt in PE dealmaking at the start of 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak, PE buyouts skyrocketed in 2021-22 due to higher levels of dry powder and low interest rates. Despite strong fundraising in 2022-23 as investors sought higher yields, PE activity slowed amid rising interest rates and a gloomy economic outlook, hitting deal volumes. Conditions only worsened in 2023-24 as the higher base rate environment, spiralling inflation and geopolitical tensions incited significant fundraising challenges and clobbered investment activity, hurting revenue. The macroeconomic environment is set to improve in 2024-25, driven by the prospect of further rate cuts and investors upgrading growth prospects, lifting deal activity. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 7.2% to £6.5 billion over the five years through 2029-30. In the coming years, private equity firms will focus more on optimising operational performance and driving inorganic growth amid the high base rate environment and inflation, a sharp contrast to the expansion-driven growth experienced over the past decade. ESG will also be on their agenda, realising that significant value can be achieved from the investment strategy. Brexit has proven detrimental to domestic PE firms, but this could change depending on how effective the government's regulatory divergence is. Growing competition from alternative investment vehicles will also hurt revenue growth.

Over the five years through 2025-26, UK banks' revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 4.8% to £136 billion, including an anticipated hike of 3.6% in 2025-26. After the financial crisis in 2007-08, low interest rates limited banks' interest in loans, hitting income. At the same time, a stricter regulatory environment, including increased capital requirements introduced under the Basel III banking reforms and ring-fencing regulations, constricted lending activity. To protect their profitability, banks like Lloyds have shut the doors of many branches and made substantial job cuts. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the Bank of England adopted aggressive tightening of monetary policy, hiking interest rates to rein in spiralling inflation. The higher base rate environment lifted borrowing costs, driving interest income for banks, which reported skyrocketing profits in 2023-24. Although profit grew markedly, pressure to pass on higher rates to savers and fierce competition weighed on revenue growth at the tail end of the year. However, the prospect of rate cuts in 2024-25 saw many banks lower their savings rates, aiding revenue growth. In 2025-26, although further interest rate cuts are on the horizon, revenue is set to grow, due to lower borrowing costs driving activity in the housing market. Banks have also reduced their exposure to interest rate cuts through structural hedges, which lock in rates when they fluctuate. The FCA’s investigation into motor commissions has been a cause for concern over recent years, with banks like Lloyds and Santander ramping up provisions over 2024-25 in preparation for large payouts, if the Supreme Court deems banks were carrying out illegal activities. Over the five years through 2030-31, industry revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 4% to reach £165.8 billion. Regulatory restrictions, tougher stress tests and stringent lending criteria will also hamper revenue growth. Competition is set to remain fierce – both internally from lenders that deliver their services exclusively via digital channels and externally from alternative finance providers, like peer-to-peer lending platforms. The possibility of legislation like the Edinburgh reforms will drive investment and lending activity in the coming years, if introduced. However, concerns surrounding the repercussions of less stringent capital requirements and the already fragile nature of the UK financial system pose doubt as to whether any significant changes will be made.

In 2024, the average inflation rate in the United Kingdom was approximately 2.53 percent. Between 1980 and 2024, the figure dropped by around 14.32 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory. The inflation is forecast to decline by about 0.53 percentage points from 2024 to 2030, fluctuating as it trends downward.This indicator measures inflation based upon the year-on-year change in the average consumer price index, expressed in percent. The latter expresses a country's average level of prices based on a typical basket of consumer goods and services.

United Kingdom Loan Market was valued at USD 267.23 Billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 521.67 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 8.26%.

The Direct Real Estate Activities industry have come up against numerous headwinds in recent years, ranging from the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 to the high base rate environment in the years since, which has inflated borrowing costs for potential buyers. This is a sharp contrast to the ultra-low interest environment seen over the decade following the 2008 financial crisis. Still, revenue is forecast to edge upwards at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025 to €622.9 billion, including an anticipated rise of 0.8% in 2025. Despite weak revenue growth, profitability remains strong, with the average industry profit margin standing at an estimated 18.9% in 2025. Central banks across Europe adopted aggressive monetary policy in the two years through 2023 in an effort to curb spiralling inflation. This ratcheted up borrowing costs and hit the real estate sector. In the residential property market, mortgage rates picked up and hit housing transaction levels. However, the level of mortgage rate hikes has varied across Europe, with the UK experiencing the largest rise, meaning the dent to UK real estate demand was more pronounced. Commercial real estate has also struggled due to inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and rising rates. Alongside this, the market’s stock of office space isn’t able to satisfy business demand, with companies placing a greater emphasis on high-quality space and environmental impact. Properties in many areas haven't been suitable due to their lack of green credentials. Nevertheless, things are looking up, as interest rates have been falling across Europe over the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs and boosting the number of property transactions, which is aiding revenue growth for estate agents. Revenue is slated to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.5% over the five years through 2030 to €777.6 billion. Economic conditions are set to improve in the short term, which will boost consumer and business confidence, ramping up the number of property transactions in both the residential and commercial real estate markets. However, estate agents may look to adjust their offerings to align with the data centre boom to soak up the demand from this market, while also adhering to sustainability commitments.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United Kingdom grew by *** percent and is expected to grow by just *** percent in 2025 and by *** percent in 2026. Growth is expected to slow down to *** percent in 2027, and then grow by ***, and *** percent in 2027 and 2028 respectively. The sudden emergence of COVID-19 in 2020 and subsequent closure of large parts of the economy were the cause of the huge *** percent contraction in 2020, with the economy recovering somewhat in 2021, when the economy grew by *** percent. UK growth downgraded in 2025 Although the economy is still expected to grow in 2025, the *** percent growth anticipated in this forecast has been halved from *** percent in October 2024. Increased geopolitical uncertainty as well as the impact of American tariffs on the global economy are some of the main reasons for this mark down. The UK's inflation rate for 2025 has also been revised, with an annual rate of *** percent predicated, up from *** percent in the last forecast. Unemployment is also anticipated to be higher than initially thought, with the annual unemployment rate likely to be *** percent instead of *** percent. Long-term growth problems In the last two quarters of 2023, the UK economy shrank by *** percent in Q3 and by *** percent in Q4, plunging the UK into recession for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before that last recession, however, the UK economy has been struggling with weak growth. Although growth since the pandemic has been noticeably sluggish, there has been a clear long-term trend of declining growth rates. The economy has consistently been seen as one of the most important issues to people in Britain, ahead of health, immigration and the environment. Achieving strong levels of economic growth is one of the main aims of the Labour government elected in 2024, although after almost one year in power it has so far proven elusive.

The Direct Real Estate Activities industry have come up against numerous headwinds in recent years, ranging from the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 to the high base rate environment in the years since, which has inflated borrowing costs for potential buyers. This is a sharp contrast to the ultra-low interest environment seen over the decade following the 2008 financial crisis. Still, revenue is forecast to edge upwards at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025 to €622.9 billion, including an anticipated rise of 0.8% in 2025. Despite weak revenue growth, profitability remains strong, with the average industry profit margin standing at an estimated 18.9% in 2025. Central banks across Europe adopted aggressive monetary policy in the two years through 2023 in an effort to curb spiralling inflation. This ratcheted up borrowing costs and hit the real estate sector. In the residential property market, mortgage rates picked up and hit housing transaction levels. However, the level of mortgage rate hikes has varied across Europe, with the UK experiencing the largest rise, meaning the dent to UK real estate demand was more pronounced. Commercial real estate has also struggled due to inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and rising rates. Alongside this, the market’s stock of office space isn’t able to satisfy business demand, with companies placing a greater emphasis on high-quality space and environmental impact. Properties in many areas haven't been suitable due to their lack of green credentials. Nevertheless, things are looking up, as interest rates have been falling across Europe over the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs and boosting the number of property transactions, which is aiding revenue growth for estate agents. Revenue is slated to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.5% over the five years through 2030 to €777.6 billion. Economic conditions are set to improve in the short term, which will boost consumer and business confidence, ramping up the number of property transactions in both the residential and commercial real estate markets. However, estate agents may look to adjust their offerings to align with the data centre boom to soak up the demand from this market, while also adhering to sustainability commitments.

The high uptake in funds received by SMEs heavily supported factoring companies leading up to the pandemic. However, after COVID-19 struck, the government's heavy backing of conventional lending hit demand for factoring companies; that's not to say the government doesn't support factoring, since the British Business Banks provide guarantees to cover a portion of credit losses for designated lending portfolios. Over the five years through 2024-25, factoring companies' revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of just 3.5% to £4 billion. The economy's recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak was dented by harsh inflationary pressures in 2022-23, with high interest rates making lending more expensive. However, this has also ratcheted up discount rates, which are fees factor companies charge clients, supporting revenue growth. The tough economic conditions in the two years through 2023-24 amid geopolitical tensions and muted economic growth also resulted in many businesses looking for liquidity and turning to factor companies. Although economic conditions are set to improve in 2024-25, limiting the number of companies looking for short-term finances, a growing economy will also incentivise businesses to expand and invest in working capital, lifting demand for financing and contributing to revenue growth in 2024-25. Interest rates will also remain high by historical standards despite an expected drop later in the year, making traditional lending more expensive and factoring all the more attractive. Over the five years through 2029-30, factoring companies' revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 6% to £5.3 billion. As business sentiment recovers and interest rates steady out, factoring companies will experience healthy demand, supporting invoice amounts and driving revenue growth. However, improving cash flow conditions will dent revenue growth as more businesses no longer seek short-term financing like factoring. Competition from alternative lending sources like P2P lending and crowdfunding will remain fierce. Factoring companies will also face an increasingly tough regulatory environment, raising costs and weighing profitability.

Revenue is forecast to dip at a compound annual rate of 1.3% over the five years through 2024-25 to £33 billion. Revenue plummeted in 2020-21 as the pandemic dampened property management activity. Property managers enjoyed a sharp recovery in revenue during 2021-22, aided by soaring house prices amid low interest rates. In 2022-23, rent prices skyrocketed as landlords contended with rising interest rates and tax hikes. Competition for housing remained fierce in 2023-24, pushing up rental prices and supporting revenue for property managers. Despite this, revenue slipped overall as non-residential property transactions climbed, with new owners choosing to manage the properties themselves or refurbish or repurpose the property before leasing it out again. Revenue looks set to climb by 2.5% over 2024-25 as rents remain high. Build-to-rent sector growth has proved fruitful for property management companies. According to Knight Frank, in January 2025, more than 22,300 BTR homes were completed in 2024, marking a year of record delivery for the BTR sector. Revenue from the commercial sector is likely to grow, as companies may decide now’s a good time to upgrade their offices thanks to falling interest rates in 2024-25, lifting profit. Over the five years through 2029-30, property management services revenue is slated to swell at a compound annual rate of 2.4% to reach £37.1 billion. The rental market will continue gaining momentum amid upcoming regulatory changes, ramping up costs for landlords and driving commission fee income. House prices look set to remain high, at least in the short term, keeping some prospective homeowners in the rental market. Business confidence will remain somewhat constrained, though Capital Economics forecasts the base rate to fall to 3.5% by early 2026, which should boost investment volumes, increasing demand for property management services. The government's goal to construct 1.5 million homes by 2029 will benefit the industry. Approximately £3 billion of the £5 billion housing budget is earmarked for additional guarantees to SME house builders and build-to-rent developers, indicating ongoing government backing for the private sector. This support for housebuilding initiatives is set to broaden the client base available to property management companies, fostering revenue growth.

Inflation is an important measure of any country’s economy, and the Retail Price Index (RPI) is one of the most widely used indicators in the United Kingdom, with the rate expected to be 4.1 percent in 2025, compared with 3.6 percent in 2024. This followed 2022, when RPI inflation reached a rate of 11.6 percent, by far the highest annual rate during this provided time period. CPI vs RPI Although the Retail Price Index is a commonly utilized inflation indicator, the UK also uses a newer method of calculating inflation, the Consumer Price Index. The CPI, along with the CPIH (Consumer Price Index including owner occupiers' housing costs) are usually preferred by the UK government, but the RPI is still used in certain instances. Increases in rail fares for example, are calculated using the RPI, while increases in pension payments are calculated using CPI, when this is used as the uprating factor. The use of one inflation measure over the other can therefore have a significant impact on people’s lives in the UK. High inflation falls to more typical levels by 2024 Like the Retail Price Index, the Consumer Price Index inflation rate also reached a recent peak in October 2022. In that month, prices were rising by 11.1 percent and did not fall below double figures until April 2023. This fall was largely due to slower price increases in key sectors such as energy, which drove a significant amount of the 2022 wave of inflation. Inflation nevertheless remains elevated, fueled not only by high food inflation, but also by underlying core inflation. As of February 2025, the overall CPI inflation rate was 2.8 percent, although an uptick in inflation is expected later in the year, with a rate of 3.7 percent forecast for the third quarter of the year.

The yield on UK 5 Year Bond Yield rose to 4.04% on August 8, 2025, marking a 0.03 percentage point increase from the previous session. Over the past month, the yield has edged up by 0 points and is 0.31 points higher than a year ago, according to over-the-counter interbank yield quotes for this government bond maturity. United Kingdom 5 Year Note Yield - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on August of 2025.

Building contractors and developers depend on various socio-economic factors, including property values, underlying sentiment in the housing market, the degree of optimism among downstream businesses and credit conditions. All of these drivers typically track in line with economic sentiment, with recent economic shocks spurring a difficult period for building contractors and developers. Nonetheless, the enduring need for building services, particularly to tackle housing shortages across the continent, ensures a strong foundation of work. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.3% to reach €1.3 trillion over the five years through 2025. Operational and supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic reversed the fortunes of building contractors and developers in 2020, as on-site activity tumbled and downstream clients either cancelled, froze or scaled back investment plans. Aided by the release of pent-up demand and supportive government policy, building construction output rebounded in 2021. Excess demand for key raw materials led to extended lead times during this period, while input costs recorded a further surge as a result of the effects of rapidly climbing energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Soaring construction costs and the impact of interest rate hikes on both the housing market and investor sentiment led to a renewed slowdown in building construction activity across the continent. However, falling inflation and the start of an interest rate cutting cycle have spurred signs of a recovery in new work volumes, supporting anticipated revenue growth of 2.3% in 2025. Revenue is forecast to increase at a compound annual rate of 6.7% to €1.7 trillion over the five years through 2030. Activity is set to remain sluggish in the medium term, as weak economic growth and uncertainty surrounding the impact of the volatile global tariff environment on inflation and borrowing costs continue to weigh on investor sentiment. Contractors and developers will increasingly rely on public sector support, including measures to boost the supply of new housing, as countries seek to tackle severe housing shortages. Meanwhile, the introduction of more stringent sustainability requirements will drive demand for energy retrofits.

Residential building contractors are contingent on the propensity of property developers to invest in new ventures; movements in property prices; government schemes intended to boost the housing supply; and underlying sentiment in the housing market. Industry contractors have endured turbulent operating conditions over the past five years, leading to volatile shifts in revenue and profitability. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 1% over the five years through 2024-25, reaching £97.4 billion. The pandemic caused a significant drop in output in 2020-21, as restrictions placed on on-site activity and fewer enquiries for new housing units reduced revenue opportunities. Aided by government support for the housing market and the release of pent-up demand, 2021-22 was characterised by a strong rebound in activity, though materials and labour shortages maintained constraints on output. Mounting supply chain disruption and heightened economic uncertainty maintained pressure on output in the following year, though revenue growth was maintained by growth in average selling prices. Interest rate hikes and inflationary pressures led to a more subdued housing market in 2022-23, holding back the number of housing starts and completions during the year. This was followed by a slump in new residential building construction in the following year, as high borrowing costs and uncertain market conditions caused developers to scale back investment plans. Revenue is set to grow by 1.5% in 2024-25, aided by a slight improvement in new orders for residential building construction and an uptick in average selling prices. Revenue is slated to climb at a compound annual rate of 1.5% to reach £105.1 billion over the five years through 2029-30. Housebuilding activity is set to grow in the medium-term, aided by the release of pent-up demand. Nonetheless, significant uncertainty remains, with mortgage rates likely to settle well-above pre-pandemic levels and supply chains remaining fragile. The new government’s pledge to deliver 1.5 million houses during the first five years of parliament will boost demand for industry contractors, though the full impact of this on growth prospects is dependent on the nature and extent of accompanying funding plans.