It will be very brief.
Good morning. Thank you, convener, for the invitation to appear before the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to make brief opening remarks before we start answering questions.
On behalf of everyone at Kier Construction, I want to express how saddened we were, and are, by the fire that took hold at the Glasgow School of Art in June, and its devastating consequences.
As the committee knows, Kier Construction was appointed by the school of art to lead the construction works on the Mackintosh building back in June 2016, following the fire that occurred in May 2014. Our team was extremely proud of securing the commission, and we recognised the importance of the Mack to the students, to Glasgow, to Scotland and to the art world as a whole. For the past two years, our people have worked painstakingly and put all their efforts into the restoration work. The end was in sight—we were 10 months away from handing back the building.
Everyone at Kier, as well as the team of skilled craftspeople in the supply chain, cares deeply about what we were doing at the Mack. We were very much looking forward to completing the major restoration work; we hoped that, when it was done, it would instil a sense of pride in Glasgow and all Scotland.
Like everyone else, we await the outcome of the on-going investigation. I assure the committee that, through the proceedings, we continue to do all that we can to assist the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the other investigating bodies.
I hope that the committee will understand that a regulatory investigation is under way. I do not want to say anything that might interfere with or prejudice the investigation. The committee will be aware that Glasgow School of Art took out a joint-names insurance policy for damage to the renovation works and the existing structure, which covered legal liability for third-party property damage. I need to be mindful not to say anything that could compromise the insurance provisions.
Given those factors, I might not be able to answer all the questions that the committee wishes to ask. Speaking for Kier, I cannot tell you when the inquiry will end and when we will know its results. I appreciate that that is recognised, but I hope that I can assist the committee in today’s session. Kier will endeavour to give the committee as much information as we can.