Sir Michael Latham, former MP and author of the influential 1994 Constructing the Team report, has died.
Latham passed away on 2 November, aged 74. His study, which came to be known as the “Latham Report”, was an influential work on the construction industry and helped to modernise the sector by addressing a number of issues.
The report proposed that the client should be at the core of the construction process and that the industry should move away from its adversarial structure, adopting a more integrated approach with greater partnering and teamwork.
The report would become a reference point for subsequent studies such as the Egan Report.
Following the Latham report, he went on to serve as Construction Industry Training Board and ConstructionSkills chairman until 2010.
Current CITB chairman James Wates said: “I am saddened to hear of the recent passing of Sir Michael Latham, who was a tremendously respected and liked figure in the construction industry.
“His commitment to and passion for the industry was clear to all of us who worked with him. His outstanding dedication to the construction sector was manifested in his eight years of service as chairman of CITB and his highly influential report released in 1994, Constructing the Team.
“He was a tremendous champion for collaboration and modernisation in the sector, and we have all benefited tremendously from his work and from knowing him personally.
“I was proud to mark this by presenting the lifetime achievement award for Sir Michael to his family at the CITB Pride of Construction Awards in 2014.
“I extend my deepest condolences to his family.”
