PARLIAMENT TO STAY AT MOUND DURING 2001 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT AND THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

Church move to Usher Hall allows Parliament to meet in Edinburgh next May

The Church of Scotland has announced it will hold its 2001 General Assembly in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, allowing the Parliament to remain in its temporary home on the Mound.

The Reverend David Lacy, Convener of the Church’s Board of Practice and Procedure, said:

"As a gesture of support and goodwill we are happy to comply with the request to move the 2001 General Assembly to Edinburgh’s Usher Hall."

The Parliament’s Presiding Officer Sir David Steel praised the Church authorities for their co-operation. Sir David said:

"We have been working very closely with the Church of Scotland, as owners of the Assembly Hall, on the arrangements for the General Assembly in the next two years before we move to our permanent home at Holyrood. Thanks to their co-operation and goodwill, the Parliament will be able to remain on site next year, avoiding disruption and providing a considerable cost saving.

"We are conscious that we need to balance convenience and cost with our desire to take Parliamentary business outwith Edinburgh where appropriate. We also appreciate the need to minimise the disruption to the General Assembly.

"We have therefore agreed with the Church that they will remain in the Assembly Hall in 2002 and that we will start work shortly on identifying suitable venues for the Parliament to meet during our absence from the Mound. The fact that the Church will move one year and remain the next is an agreement which suits both parties.

"Our legal agreement with the Church allows them to insist on getting the Assembly Hall back each May for their General Assembly. This happened last year when the Parliament moved to Glasgow for three weeks.

"We consider that next year we will make a saving of more than £150,000 compared to this year’s total bill and I would like to place on record our appreciation of the co-operative approach taken by the Church of Scotland."

The Parliament met for three weeks in the former Strathclyde Regional Council facilities in Glasgow in May this year when the Church returned to the Mound for the General Assembly. Time was needed before and after the General Assembly to convert the Assembly Hall for Church use and revert back to a debating chamber.

There were two elements to the costs of meeting in Glasgow. The move itself (including accommodation, IT, broadcasting etc) and the cost of fitting out the Assembly Hall. The total bill was approximately £420,000.

For May 2001, the Parliament are legally obliged to pay only for any additional costs over and above those which the Church would incur if it remained at the Assembly Hall. The total cost is expected to be around £250,000.

For further information:

The Parliament’s media contact is Andrew Slorance on 0131 348 5389;

The Church of Scotland’s media contact is Pat Holdgate on 0131 240 2243.