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More than 150 guests, including ministers, MPs and construction leaders attended ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ's annual Terrace reception at the House of Commons on Monday evening. Nigel Griffiths, the construction minister, gave an impromptu speech, warmly praising the efforts of the industry in delivering the government's public services reform. He also extolled the virtues of the magazine, claiming it to be one of the most important construction journals in the world.

The event, now in its 27th year, celebrates the relationship between parliament and the industry. Among the guests were leaders from the contracting field, including Sir Frank Lampl, president of Bovis Lend Lease, Dermot Gleeson, chairman of the Gleeson Group, David Calverley, chief executive of Galliford Try, his former chairman Hugh Try, Mike Putnam, executive vice-president of Skanska Construction UK, and Stef Stefanou, chairman of John Doyle Group.

Also in attendance were Sir Michael Latham, Chris Blythe, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ, and Bob Blackman, national secretary of the T&G.

Consultants were represented by Rob Smith, senior partner at Davis Langdon, and his colleague Paul Morrell, Richard Hall, managing director of Faithful & Gould, Richard Steer, senior partner at Gleeds, and Bob White, chief executive of Mace.

Rab Bennetts, of Bennetts Associates, Ken Shuttleworth, founder of Make, James Pickard of Cartwright Pickard, Andrew Orgorzalek of PCKO, Ben Derbyshire of HTA, Anthony Furlong of Sheppard Robson and Richard Saxon of ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ Design Partnership were among the architects present.

Bill Olner MP, the secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Study Group for Construction, under whose auspices the reception was staged, addressed the guests. He stressed the national importance of the construction industry and called for the sector to make construction more inviting as a career for young people.

Other MPs present included Sir George Young, Ivor Caplin, Christopher Chope and Ian Davidson.