Building trade on solid form; CBI chief sees his input pay off.

AN OLD boy of Bablake School in Coventry - who played a major role modernising the UK construction industry - has praised the work of British industry.

Sir John Egan, president of the Confederation of British Industry, was guest speaker at a Law Bytes seminar, organised by law firm Wright Hassall.

Called Rethinking Construction and Skills for Sustainable Communities, it took place at Restaurant in the Park, Jephson Gardens, Leamington.

Sir John helped to overhaul the construction industry in the UK when he was chairman of the Construction Task Force.

He congratulated the work of British construction companies and also praised local authorities for their support of major building projects.

However, Sir John, a former chairman of airports operator BAA and Jaguar, told the meeting there was still much to learn from the United States.

He said that, in America, there was greater access to standard high-quality components which was not always the case in Britain.

Sir John drew on his experiences as the author of the 1998 report Rethinking Construction - which became known as the Egan Report.

Simon Wain, who specialises in construction law at Wright Hassall, in Clarendon Place, Leamington Spa, said Sir John had been informative and interesting.