Scottish Parliament faces £5m bill for new suicide bomber defence

Published on Saturday 13 March 2010 11:11

SCOTTISH Parliament bosses could spend as much as £5 million on an extension at the front of the Holyrood building for a new security hall, it emerged today.

They have asked for designs to be drawn up for the new screening facility, which has been recommended by MI5.

The move could also lead to a relocation of the public entrance to the parliament and a redesign of the public area inside it.

The Evening News first revealed in November last year how security bosses had called for an "external screening facility" because of fears of a suicide bomber.

The area where visitors currently queue for airport-style scanners is almost directly underneath the debating chamber and MI5 warned screening ought to take place before people enter the building.

Now the parliament has officially announced it is seeking an architect-led team to design the extension, which would have to be in keeping with the rest of the controversial 414m building.

But a Holyrood insider said there had still been no definite decision to go ahead with the new security hall.

"It would cost millions – 5m has been mentioned – so there has not been a decision to go through with this. It is simply being progressed to the next stage."

Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said parliament chiefs were "between a rock and a hard place" when it came to security, but urged them to take a second expert opinion before accepting MI5's advice.

Concerns have also been raised about the position of the parliament's public entrance close to the corner with the Royal Mile. Security experts are worried about a potential attack from a vehicle driven at high speed down Abbeyhill towards the parliament.

So options under consideration include moving the entrance towards the centre of the building's frontage, where the public cafe is currently located, which could also provide a better location for the new security hall.

The parliament shop could also be moved closer to the front of the building as part of the redesign.

A parliament spokeswoman said the proposed new extension – expected to cover an area of about 250 square metres – was part of ongoing measures to enhance security.

She said: "The initial phase involves securing a design for the facility. The parliament will then consider the design and decide whether to proceed to the next phase, which would be procurement of tenders for construction."

The parliament has already spent 223,000 on a triangular roundabout and 300,000 on turnstiles to boost security.

And 1.5m worth of bollards and leaf-shaped benches are under construction. The parliament said most of the work was due to be completed by Easter.