Parliamentary News Release

050/2004

15 September 2004

PARLIAMENT’S CORPORATE BODY RESPONDS TO THE REPORT OF THE HOLYROOD INQUIRY

The Presiding Officer and the First Minister last year jointly commissioned Lord Fraser of Carmyllie to lead the Inquiry into the Holyrood Building Project. Lord Fraser laid his Report before Parliament today at 10am.

What follows is a formal response to the Report by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB):

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body wishes to thank Lord Fraser for his report on the Holyrood Building Project. The SPCB acknowledges the efforts made by Lord Fraser and his team and the achievement involved in analysing the vast amount of evidence submitted to his Inquiry and producing this detailed report.

Time will be required to study and consider what lessons are to be learned. What is clear from a first reading, is that Lord Fraser has recognised not only the complexity of the building, but also the complications and difficulties this created in its construction.

The SPCB acknowledges the comments made by Lord Fraser on aspects of the management of the project since it assumed responsibility in June 1999. It will be considering very carefully the implications for future governance.

The Corporate Body will also, of course, take careful note of the outcome of the debate in Parliament on Lord Fraser’s report. They also share Lord Fraser’s hope “that the excellence of the parliamentary activity within the building will reflect the quality of the structure”, and accept that the painful lessons of its procurement must be learned.

Background

The SPCB is responsible for ensuring that the Parliament is provided with the property, staff and services it requires. In 1999 legal responsibility for the Holyrood Project was transferred from the Scottish Office to the SPCB.

The SPCB is currently chaired by the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, George Reid MSP, and its membership currently consists of Duncan McNeil MSP, Andrew Welsh MSP, Robert Brown MSP and John Scott MSP. In 1999 it was chaired by the then Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel, and the membership was Des McNulty MSP, Andrew Welsh MSP, Robert Brown MSP and John Young MSP.

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