Parliamentary News Release
048/2003
Wednesday 23 July, 2003
CORPORATE BODY ISSUES FIRST MONTHLY REPORT ON HOLYROOD
In line with the commitment in June to the Finance Committee to provide monthly reports about Holyrood, the Presiding Officer today summarised the main developments over the last month.
His letter confirms that:
- Holyrood’s estimated final cost remains at £373.9m.
- £4.46m identified as risk in the last report is now identified as committed construction costs, largely as a result of previously reported delays on site, and some elements related to blast.
Advice from Parliament’s construction managers, Bovis Lend Lease, is that they are scheduling rolling completion of major parts of the complex as follows:
- October will see the MSP office accommodation substantially completed. The final exterior detailing will be completed in November.
- Queensberry House is also expected to be fully commissioned in November.
- Fitout and service completion across the east end of the site, including the Committee Towers and the Debating Chamber targets Christmas.
- As each area becomes available, Parliament staff will move in to start installing IT and bedding in Facilities Management. Members of IT staff and their contractors will be working in the building from early December.
- Bovis continue to seek to incorporate the detailed programme for the two glazing packages covering the east end of the site into the overall programme. Bovis have allocated additional staff to these two contracts, but definite completion dates have yet to be finalised.
On fees, the Presiding Officer’s letter sets out the good progress that has been made with the Parliament’s consultants, although EMBT failed to meet a deadline of this Monday to respond formally to Parliament’s proposals on this matter.
The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer George Reid said:
“We have been engaged with all our consultants in very constructive discussions on fees until Benedetta Tagliabue failed to respond to Monday’s deadline. I am determined to continue to apply pressure on this matter in order to protect the public interest, and hope we can all put it behind us soon.
“I am reassured, however, that there is no increase in the overall cost as the financial movements we set out today have previously been accounted for. Nevertheless, it is still unfortunate that more than £500,000 has been required to cover blast proof doors across the site.
“On programme, Bovis continue to work hard on our behalf to secure the best dates for completion across site. In particular they are focussing on the work of Drawn Metal and Mero, two of our specialist glazing contractors, and Bovis staff have been directly seconded into these companies’ teams on site to secure comprehensive programme information by August.
“Our commitment to provide such a detailed monthly report on Holyrood should leave no doubt about the importance we attach to transparency, monitoring progress and controlling costs where possible. In addition, this new reporting arrangement will assist everyone connected with Holyrood to identify any problems as far in advance as possible.
“The drive now is to close out areas of the complex in turn, which will allow an efficient move down to Holyrood. I am reassured to see that work to enable that move is expected to begin in December. We continue to focus on completion across Holyrood, and I look forward to the work of devolution beginning to bed down in the Parliament’s permanent home.”
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