A parliamentary committee is set to conduct an inquiry into payment practices in construction after the publication of a National Audit Office report.

A senior Whitehall source said the public accounts select committee was “highly likely” to hold a hearing on the report when parliament reconvenes after the general election on 5 May.

The all-party committee has agreed to receive written evidence from the Specialist Contractors Group should a hearing go ahead. The source said: “The committee has to decide whether or not to hold a hearing on the report, but at the moment it’s looking highly likely that it will.

“It will want to call ministers and civil servants to account over how government departments are addressing the demands made in the report for fairer payment.”

SEC Group has been told it will be able to submit evidence in the case of an inquiry.