Wilson Bowden chief executive Ian Robertson has called for the government to implement the findings of the Barker Report. In return he pledged that his firm would work to ensure an increase in performance levels in customer service and satisfaction, design and innovation and an investment in skills and training. At a Labour party fringe meeting Robertson said that a reducing number of people can afford to buy a home: down from 46% in the late 1980s to 37% in 2002, and reiterated that the stifling regulatory environment constrains the supply of land for new housing and frustrates attempts to gain permission to build. But he went on to acknowledge that there is a quid pro quo. "This is not just another rant about planning by a housebuilder," he said. "Kate Barker made it clear that the industry has a number of responsibilities and challenges which it has to meet. Can we do more? Of course we can - and we will. But the housebuilding industry has a commitment to change and many companies, like Wilson Bowden, are already taking measures to respond in a way you would not have seen a few years ago."