Construction minister Brian Wilson has come under fire for failing to give enough time to the construction industry.
"We've pointed out that construction merits more ministerial input than Brian Wilson is able to give," said Alan Crane, chief executive of the Movement for Innovation. "It's been mentioned to senior civil servants and it's been mentioned to Wilson himself."

Crane said the loss of a dedicated construction minister in the reshuffle that followed last year's election has diminished the industry's contact with government.

Bob White, chairman and chief executive of Mace, who takes over as chair of the movement in April, said: "We had a minister who was dedicated to the cause. Now we've got a small bit of a minister. We have made it clear that we still need more ministerial time."

Wilson told Building that the criticisms were "ludicrous". "It's a predictable charge given the move from the DTLR to the DTI, but there's no truth in it," he said.

Wilson's office pointed out that in the past week he had attended events hosted by BRE, the Federation of Master Builders and the Electrical Contractors Association.

"His diary commitments speak for themselves," said a spokesperson. "Brian Wilson is fully committed to the construction industry."