Mark Prisk, the Conservative party’s shadow construction minister, has said he will press for reforms to the Construction Act to be made law this year.

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has just finished its consultation on the act, which was brought in to improve payment practices and dispute resolution in the industry.

Prisk said: “There is a pressing need for clear promises and pledges to improve the adjudication process, and ease cost pressures on the supply chain. It must happen this parliamentary session.”

He said he would petition Stephen Timms, his counterpart in the government, to put changes to the Construction Act forward as primary legislation.