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Carillion has hit out at a statement from a group representing victims of construction blacklisting which claimed that the contractor had a much wider role in the scandal than it has admitted.

The Blacklist Support Group (BSG), which represents victims of blacklisting in the construction industry, released a statement claiming that there was 鈥渃lear evidence鈥� on the blacklisting database held by the Information Commissioner鈥檚 Office (ICO) that Carillion had a wider involvement in blacklisting than stated by the firm.

The BSG said the contractor鈥檚 involvement extended beyond that of Carillion subsidiary Crown House, which Carillion has admitted, and involved Tarmac, John Mowlem, as well as Carillion subsidiaries Schal International and SkyBlue Employment Agency as well as Carillion itself.

Blacklisting of construction workers came to light after a 3,200-name list was seized by the ICO in 2009 from the now defunct Consulting Association (CA). The CA sold details of blacklisted workers to more than 40 customers, including Carillion subsidiaries, Sir Robert McAlpine and Balfour Beatty.

In response to the statement by the BSG in relation to Carillion鈥檚 involvement in blacklisting, a Carillion spokesman said: 鈥淲e have already explained, in detail, Carillion鈥檚 very limited involvement with the Consulting Association in our submission to the Scottish Affairs Committee.

鈥淭o be clear: the business unit concerned, Crown House, was in fact one of more than 40 construction companies to have used the database.

鈥淲e are also aware that John Mowlem used the CA鈥檚 services prior to its acquisition by Carillion, whereupon the practice was terminated.

鈥淲e stand by our statement that no company in Carillion ownership used the database after 2004, when the HR manager of Crown House decided to put a stop to its use.鈥�

In its written evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee, Carillion said it has been eight years since one of its subsidiaries - Crown House Engineering (CHE) - used the CA鈥檚 referencing service to check blacklisting records.

The firm said Liz Keates - then employee relations manager at CHE and now Carillion鈥檚 head of employee relations - 鈥減roactively stopped鈥� using the CA service in 2004.Carillion said another of its subsidiaries, Mowlem, used the blacklist but stopped doing so before Carillion acquired the group in 2006.

Carillion said its senior management 鈥渨as not aware of any use of the CA鈥檚 database鈥� and if it had been 鈥渢he practice would have been banned鈥�. It said it was 鈥渄eeply regrettable that [its involvement in blacklisting] is being grossly exaggerated to suit unconnected agendas鈥�.

However, in its statement the BSG said the database held by the ICO identified Tarmac and Carillion, which came into being after a de-merger from Tarmac in 1999, as subscribers to the CA and that Carillion itself was charged subscription fees, additional fees for checking names and charges for attending CA meetings between 1999 and 2008, a few weeks before the CA was closed down.

The BSG claimed that Schal International and SkyBlue Employment Agency, both Carillion subsidiaries, are also identified in the blacklist files. John Mowlem Ltd - now trading as Carillion (JM) Ltd - is also identified, the BSG said.

The BSG also claimed that senior managers employed directly by Carillion were attending CA meetings as late as 2008 and that John Edwards 鈥� a senior Carillion manager - was identified as attending CA meetings in 2008. 

A BSG spokesperson said: 鈥淭hese claims about Carillion鈥檚 role in blacklisting have been stated on numerous occasions in undisputed written witness statements and oral evidence at various Employment Tribunals.

鈥淚f any of these facts were incorrect, Carillion has had every opportunity to refute them in court but have always declined to do so.鈥�