UK construction sector growth slowed slightly in February, with input price inflation touching an 18-month low, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply said. The headline purchasing managers index fell to 57.3 in February from an eleven-month high of 57.9 in January, CIPS said. A reading above 50 indicates expansion. The sub-indices for employment and delivery times rose, while total activity and new orders were lower. Input prices slowed but remained at a very high level. "Activity in the construction sector remained robust in February with commercial construction growth accelerating to a four- month high," said Roy Acliffe, director of Professional Practice at the CIPS. "Purchasing managers reported that the upturn in new work was a result of the adverse weather conditions seen in January, which helped fuel a rise in employment levels," he said. However, despite input price inflation falling to its lowest rate in a year and a half, purchasing managers continued to report strong growth in their average costs, Acliffe noted.