In contrast to Dave and Rob below, if the Contractor is instructing you to keep Completion as it is, then I do NOT believe it is 'acceleration by the back door', BUT
- the moment the conversation / instruction moves into talking about bringing forward Completion and hence the Completion Date it is;
- all other criteria in clause 63 apply about allowances for risk, that the Accepted Programme can be changed etc; and
- the Contractor needs to follow due process in terms of having a talk with about different ways of dealing with the event before instructing alternative quotations as per clause 62.1. Arguably, you could refuse to do the quotation until he or she has done this.
- the moment the conversation / instruction moves into talking about bringing forward Completion and hence the Completion Date it is;
- all other criteria in clause 63 apply about allowances for risk, that the Accepted Programme can be changed etc; and
- the Contractor needs to follow due process in terms of having a talk with about different ways of dealing with the event before instructing alternative quotations as per clause 62.1. Arguably, you could refuse to do the quotation until he or she has done this.