Nearly 200 ministers, MPs and industry leaders attend Building's annual Commons terrace reception.
NEW TRANSPORT minister John Spellar and deputy prime minister John Prescott were among nearly 200 guests at the All Party Parliamentary Study Group for Construction's annual terrace reception at the House of Commons on Monday.

The reception, sponsored by Building, is aimed at bringing together MPs, leading members of the construction industry and its clients.

Among the attendees were former Tory construction minister Tony Baldry, Amec chief executive Peter Mason, Jarvis chief executive Paris Moayedi and Willmott Dixon chairman Sir Michael Latham.

Other guests included Stanhope director Peter Rogers, BDP chairman Richard Saxon, Shepherd Construction chief executive Paul Shepherd, Alfred McAlpine chief executive Oliver Whitehead, UCATT general secretary George Brumwell, and Construction Industry Training Board chairman Hugh Try.

In his speech, All Party Parliamentary Study Group chairman Bill Olner welcolmed the government's decision to switch construction to the DTI, and said that in Brian Wilson, the DTI minister who will look after the sector, the industry has a "tenacious, dedicated" politician who will fight his corner within government.