Forum hits back at accusations of failure

The Strategic Forum has hit back at accusations that December is a "crunch month" and that it "has to plot a new direction just a year after its birth".
The leading members of the Forum are adamant that there is no substance to the claims, which were made recently.
Forum chairman Peter Rogers said: "We have just come out of a Forum meeting and construction minister Nigel Griffiths was there for an hour and a half when he was only supposed to be present for 30 minutes. That says a great deal.
"There is unanimous support from all members of the Forum and one or two members actually said if there wasn't a Forum, the first thing we would be doing is trying to create one."
Construction Industry Council chief executive Graham Watts said: "Since its predecessor the Construction Industry Board (CIB) tried to bring the industry together, there hasn't been one body that is as inclusive and has such a broad range of organisations [as the Forum]."
Constructing Excellence chief executive Dennis Lenard said: "I firmly believe the Forum is a major achievement and something the industry can be proud of."