Finance Committee, 04 Jul 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, July 4, 2000

Official Report 177KB pdf

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Scottish Parliament Building Project

The last item on our agenda is a report from Ken Macintosh, who is our reporter on the Holyrood project. On behalf of the committee, I would like to record our sadness at the premature death of the architect responsible for the Holyrood project, Enric Miralles. None the less, the project will go on and it would be helpful to hear your report, Ken.

This is the update that we agreed it would be appropriate for me to give before the recess. I associate myself with the convener's remarks. Obviously, my report has been overshadowed by the death of Enric Miralles. Whatever we feel about the management and costs of the project, we can all pay tribute to the vision and imagination that the architect showed in his design. We can share the view that has been widely expressed today that the Parliament will be a fitting memorial to him.

The most significant development for my role in monitoring the costs of the project so far was the debate in the chamber on 4 April, when spending on this project was capped. We will find out in retrospect whether the Spencely report was the turning point for the management and monitoring of costs of the project, but at the moment it seems that it was.

The other significant development was the agreement to set up a progress group. I had some concern that there was a hiatus in the establishment of that group but, as members will be aware, it is now up and running. Its first full business meeting was going to be today, although I do not know whether that has gone ahead, in view of the death of Mr Miralles.

The progress group has three political representatives from across the parties and four professional representatives. I think that we can all be reassured, because the progressing group, unlike the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, has been set up with the sole responsibility of monitoring the progress and costs of the Holyrood project. We can also take reassurance from the fact that the flow of information since the establishment of the progress group has been far greater than before. That allows us to be aware of what is going in with the project.

It was agreed in the debate in April that stage D of the project would be signed off. It was signed off about two weeks ago. That underlined a particular stage in the development of the project. It marked a stage in the development of the plans, which has implications for the overrun of the project.

There has been substantial progress. Two matters are outstanding. The project director, Barbara Doig, has moved back to the Executive, and the project is currently appointing a new director. It will not be a direct replacement because the role of the project director has been changed slightly. Applications for the post are being considered. The appointment will be another important stage in the continuity of the project.

Possibly more important for my reports to the committee will be the report of the Auditor General, Robert Black. His report, which we had expected this month, will now come out in September. The report was commissioned by the Audit Committee, which agreed that it was more important that he carry out a thorough examination of all the costs of the project to date rather than try to meet a deadline that might not be practicable.

That is us up to date. I intend to use the summer to further my inquiries with the new project team, the progressing committee and the Auditor General. I will report back as soon as practicable in the autumn.

Can Mr Macintosh assure us that at some stage he will refer to the Holyrood project's impact on the budget? I thought that that was his principal role.

I can certainly promise that. What I did not particularly want to do was to duplicate work that was going on elsewhere. There has been a far greater flow of information to all MSPs and to this committee, which we can all be reassured by. What I have provided today is merely an update; when I have more material of substance—how much has been spent to date, how much is projected to be spent, which budget the money comes from and any potential impact on other areas of the budget—I will bring it back to the committee.

I am grateful for that. Could we have that information circulated in the form of a written report before a future meeting?

Certainly. What I have provided today has been very much a brief update. However, you are right; I have not had a chance to draw up a proper report for the Parliament. Indeed, I did not particularly want to do so in advance of the Spencely report and, in particular, the Auditor General's report, as he is investigating these matters in a slightly more professional capacity. Although I will produce a proper report, that will not be before the Auditor General reports to the Audit Committee in September.

Andrew Wilson has a question. I ask him to bear in mind the fact that we have to be out of here by 3.15 pm.

First, I want to thank Ken for his report.

It was an update.

Sorry, update. However, with the greatest respect, I understood that our specific focus was not on management issues but on the impact of the project on the budget. We have yet to see any specific reference to how the budget has been altered to accommodate changes that were announced in the Holyrood project over the past few months. That information is urgently needed.

Secondly, I thought that, given the fact that our job is specifically financial, the reporter's remit was to examine the impact of financing the project over four years and whether the most sensible approach had been adopted. We still do not have that information at our disposal. Perhaps the reporter could and should have considered the issue early on.

I will take those comments on board. I agree that my remit is very specific—to monitor costs and their impact on the budget is very specific. Those elements will be part of my report. As I said, this has been very much an update and I have not wanted to duplicate work that is going on elsewhere, particularly by the Auditor General and in the Spencely report. The issues have been fully debated by the Parliament and I will provide a weightier report later in the autumn.

It will be worth waiting for.

That concludes the formal business on our agenda today. I want to refer to a couple of minor items. First, at last week's meeting of the conveners liaison group, our request for external research was approved; that will now go out to tender over the summer. The Scottish Parliament information centre has some suggestions about whom we might use. Although we are not asking for specific suggestions just now, members should let the clerks know if they have any.

Secondly, on Friday 21 July, George Souris, leader of the National Party of Australia in New South Wales, will visit the Parliament between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm. If any committee member could be here for that, they would be very welcome. Perhaps David Davidson is most likely to have political connections with that party.

I am sorry. I am away.

It is not a handy date. However, I hope that other members will bear the visit in mind. It is important that we try to maintain links with similar bodies in other parts of the world.

Finally, I want to thank members for their contributions to the committee over the past year. I think that we have been an extremely effective committee and I am sure that we will build on that after the recess. In the meantime, enjoy the break and come back refreshed; I look forward to seeing you all in September. I also thank our current clerks and those who have moved on to other things for their support over the year.

Meeting closed at 15:14.