Holyrood team set to make £56m in fees

Consultants, contractors and architects involved in Scotland's £340m Holyrood project are set to earn more than £56m in fees - substantially more than the original estimate for the entire building, according to The Scotsman newspaper.

The article claims that presiding officer Sir David Steel admitted yesterday (Wednesday) that latest estimates for fees on the project, which is two and a half years behind schedule and £250m over budget, is now £56m - an £18m rise on the last figure for the fees published in September.

However a parliament spokesman told the newspaper that the £36.5m figure only included the fees paid out by September, while the £56m represented the latest estimate for the final bill for all fees.

He added: "As announced to the Finance Committee in December and January, the move to a later construction completion date has resulted in increased fee costs."

The fees will be paid out in at least four sectors: Bovis Lendlease, the main building contractor; Davis Langdon and Everest, the cost consultants; EMBT and RMJM, the architects; and Ove Arup, the design team.