The DTI was this week urged to clarify its progress on the review of the Construction Act after claims that it would delay announcing its findings until next year.

Claire Curtis-Thomas, Labour MP for Crosby and an , tabled a parliamentary question on the status of the review this week, after rumours within the industry suggested that the DTI would not make a statement on the review until 2006. An announcement was originally expected in November.

An industry source said the DTI had indicated that it has not finished reading industry submissions, which it has held since the consultation period on the document ended in July.

As 黑洞社区 went to press, Curtis-Thomas had not received a response to her query, which was prompted by a request from Rudi Klein, chief executive of the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group.

Klein said: 鈥淪ome people have been told it will be this year, some have been told it will be next. We heard the DTI would say something before the pre-Budget speech, but that hasn鈥檛 happened.鈥�

Some have been told this year, some next

Rudi Klein, SEC Group

Klein will also raise the issue in a meeting with construction minister Alun Michael, set to take place in a fortnight鈥檚 time.

n The 拢130m legal battle between former Morrison head Sir Fraser Morrison and AWG, owner of Anglian Water, has been put on hold after it was revealed that a High Court judge was close friends with a likely witnesses. The trial, which is over AWG鈥檚 purchase of Morrison, was due to begin this week but will now be delayed until 2006.