This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Review of Parliament House Project
17/12/2004
The redevelopment of Parliament House, the home of the Supreme Courts in Scotland. is to be re-evaluated by the Scottish Courts Service (SCS) to ensure that it meets operational needs as quickly as possible and delivers good value for money.
It was anticipated that the project, which began work in 1999, would take 14 to 15 years to complete.
The estimated projected cost is £133.6 million at current construction prices which would continue to rise with construction inflation.
Although a large part of the first of five planned phases of work has already been completed on budget, the timescale for the project has slipped due to planning delays, land acquisition, and sensitive archaeological finds.
On current plans, completion could take 18 to 19 years in total.
The SCS decided to halt work on the project now to carry out a full options appraisal immediately. The review should conclude by the summer of 2005.
SCS Chief Executive Eleanor Emberson said:
"The Parliament House redevelopment is very important to us. We need to invest substantially to bring the facilities up to a standard that supports the operation of the Supreme Courts.
"In particular, we need good, secure custody facilities to ensure the safety of all court users, and we need to back the High Court reform programme with modern accommodation.
"As timescales have slipped, and the overall cost of the project is substantial, I believe it is right that we pause now to conduct a review of all the options.
"The Scottish Court Service recognized the risks of a long, complex project and planned it in phases to allow for review points.
We must make sure that we meet the operational needs as quickly as we possibly can, and get good value for money.
"There was an extensive exercise at the beginning of the project to capture users' needs, which gives us a solid foundation for the review. We will continue to work with users of Parliament House as we consider all of the options at this stage. When the review is complete, we will be able to go ahead with the project with confidence that we are managing it in the best possible way."
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson backed the review and said:
"The Supreme Courts are important institutions but also important buildings in their own right. I want to see their redevelopment for the nation go hand-in-hand with value for money for the taxpayer - and improved efficiency and effectiveness for court business.
"Since the project began, some operational needs have become more pressing - for example the need for highly secure environments for criminal trials and the importance of providing modern and appropriate custody facilities.
"I believe that the right decision is to pause, review all the options and come forward with proposals that will deliver the long-term improvements we all want to see for our Supreme Courts."
Parliament House in Edinburgh is the home of the Supreme Courts (High Court of Justiciary and Court of Session).
The High Court also has facilities at Lawnmarket in Edinburgh and Saltmarket in Glasgow, and sits on circuit in courts around Scotland. These courts deal with our most serious criminal trials and the most complex areas of civil law.
There are 32 judges in the Supreme Courts who preside over some 10,000 cases per annum in around 4,700 Court sitting days.
The project was planned in five phases, and it was anticipated that it would take 14 to 15 years to complete.