SNP concerned by Holyrood report delay
Indications that Lord Fraser’s report into the building of the Scottish Parliament will, like the building itself, be delayed have been met with dismay from the Scottish National Party.
Lord Fraser’s inquiry into the commissioning and building of the Scottish Parliament first began to take evidence in October 2003 and took closing submissions this May. The inquiry had been expected to report in September, but it has emerged that there may be up to a two-week delay in the report’s publication.
With the opening ceremony of the Parliament scheduled for October 9th, the SNP said it was concerned that a delay in the report could overshadow the occasion.
The Parliament is now estimated to cost £430 million, up from initial estimates of £109 million in 1999.
Shadow Finance Minister Fergus Ewing said he believed the report should be published well before the opening ceremony.
Mr Ewing said: “The whole point of the Inquiry was to learn lessons from the farce of the Holyrood Project and, crucially, draw a line under what has been a tremendously damaging episode. We cannot afford to allow the Holyrood debacle to dribble on and ruin the best chance Scotland has move on.
“The report needs to be published in good time to allow full public debate without it overshadowing the opening. Lord Fraser and the Inquiry team need to now pull out all the stops and get their report finished.
“The opening of the new Parliament building is a chance for devolution to make a fresh start and for politics in Scotland to leave behind the disappointments of the last five years.”
The opening ceremony will be attended by the Queen and begin with a procession down the Mound to the new Parliament featuring MSPs and other members of Scottish society. Civil servants have, however, already taken up residence in the new building.
