Holyrood's £2m security bill attacked

Published on Friday 23 July 2010 12:14

SCOTTISH Parliament bosses have been accused of going "over the top" on security after new figures showed the latest anti-terrorist measures have landed taxpayers with a bill of more than £2.3 million.

Lothians Labour MSP George Foulkes, who is a member of Westminster's intelligence and security committee, which deals with issues of terrorism, said he did not believe Holyrood was a high-risk target.

In a parliamentary answer to Lord Foulkes, the cross-party Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body revealed it had spent a total of 2,314,000 on new security measures over the past three years.

The bill includes more than 1m for bollards and concrete benches designed to block the path of a vehicle packed with explosives being driven at the building; 412,000 for turnstiles – more than 100,000 over the original budget; 232,000 for a "triangular roundabout" and chicane outside the car park entrance; 233,000 for a traffic light system and security barriers to enter the car park; 53,000 for security gates and fences; and a hefty 276,000 for "project management and advice".

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Lord Foulkes said: "I was astonished. I put down the question not knowing what the answer would be and it was much more than I expected.

"When you add it to the original cost of the building and all the maintenance, it must be one of the most expensive buildings around."

The parliament is also considering a new security annexe – recommended by MI5 – which would be built in front of the main public entrance so visitors could be screened before they entered the parliament building itself.

Lord Foulkes said the move would be "total madness".

He said: "It's not necessary. I think the advice they are getting is over-cautious. I don't think the parliament is a high-risk target and whether you like the look of the building or not, this would be like a carbuncle on it."

Lord Foulkes has been a member of the intelligence and security committee for the past four years.

He said: "The security services err on the side of caution, but it's up to the people in charge to make the decision.

"I don't think Holyrood is a high risk at all. The trouble is they think just because they get a recommendation they have to do it. I think they have gone over the top a bit already."

He said a case could be made for the turnstiles, the chicane on the approach to the car park and the vehicle entry system.

But he cited the bollards and concrete benches installed around the perimeter of the parliament earlier this year, to add to existing bollards, as an example of unnecessary expenditure. "I think the situation before was strong enough," he said.

Lord Foulkes said he would also press for more details of the "project management and advice", which cost 276,000. "It sounds like consultants," he said.

A parliament spokesman said: "These security measures were installed for the greater protection of building users and the 300,000-plus public visitors, including school children and tour groups, we receive each year."