HC Deb 15 March 1978 vol 946 cc426-8
9. Mr. Gow

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total expenditure incurred so far in the acquisition and conversion of the formal building for the Scottish Assembly in Edinburgh, and what is his latest estimate of the expenditure still to be incurred?

Mr. Harry Ewing

Expenditure to mid-February was £1.6 million, including the cost of purchasing the Royal High School. There remains to be spent the balance of the £3.25 million indicated in the explanatory and financial memorandum.

Mr. Gow

What plans do the Government have for the use of this building if the Scotland Bill does not reach the statute book or the referendum does not achieve a minimum of 40 per cent. in favour?

Mr. Ewing

We do not anticipate any of those eventualities arising. It is very dangerous for Ministers to answer hypothetical questions.

Mr. David Steel

Does the figure that the Minister mentioned include the cost of removing the aerosal-can SNP slogans from the front of the building?

Mr. Ewing

I think that the right hon. Member has raised a very serious point. I take this opportunity, particularly with a by-election in Glasgow, of saying that one of the greatest acts of vandalism in Scotland at election times is the way in which road signs are defaced by the SNP. I wish that SNP Members would stop laughing and take this point seriously.

Mr. Heffer

In all seriousness, will the Minister take note of the Question tabled by the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow)? What will happen if the Scottish people decide not to go ahead with this idea? What will the Government do with the building, and how will they use it? Will they sell it off, or what will happen? Is it not a scandal that we should have got this far, spending this amount of money, before the Scottish people have made up their minds?

Mr. Ewing

The money is being spent with the full approval of Parliament. We are certainly not spending the money without that approval having been secured. Not only do I take account of what is said by the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Gow) but, even more important, I take more account of what is said by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer).

Mr. Reid

What discussions has the Minister had with representatives of the newspapers and broadcasting authorities about facilities in the Assembly? Does he appreciate that the present plans will mean that the Press, without a Lobby system, will sit on the Floor of the Assembly and that its telephones will be only a few feet away from the Chamber?

Mr. Ewing

I have constant discussions with the media on the facilities that are to be provided when the Assembly is set up. The media accept that the Assembly is not being established for media purposes. The first priority is to establish the Assembly for Members and for the people of Scotland. Within that context, we shall fit in the requirements of the media.

Mr. Sillars

Does not the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Heffer) add greater urgency to holding the referendum as soon as possible? Is not September the best date for the referendum so that my hon. Friend will not be bothered with Questions of this kind after we secure a "Yes" vote in the referendum?

Mr. Ewing

I have noticed lately that my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Sillars) appears to be desperately anxious to fix a September date for the referendum. I wonder whether he has already fixed his holidays for October, November and December. There are all sorts of possibilities open to him.

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