§ 16. Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that Scottish service men are able to vote in the elections to the Scottish Parliament. [56117]
§ Mr. McLeishScottish service men and women are already provided for under existing legislation. We see no need for this to be amended. Provided that they have made a service declaration to appear on the register in Scotland they will be eligible to vote by proxy no matter where in the world they will be at the time of the elections to the Scottish Parliament.
§ 17. Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of the future Scottish Parliament on his accountability to hon. Members. [56118]
§ Mr. McLeishThe establishment of the Scottish Parliament will alter the range of issues for which the Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible. The Government intend to submit evidence to the Procedure Committee for its inquiry into the procedural consequences of devolution shortly.
§ 27. Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing a Scottish Parliament. [56130]
§ Mr. McLeishThe estimated construction costs of the building at Holyrood will be around £55 million, including site acquisition costs and demolition costs but not including fees and VAT. The actual cost will depend on the final design, and the price of construction, which will be determined by competitive tender.
The annual running costs of the Scottish Parliament will depend on a number of factors yet to be settled including the hours of operation. The current estimate is around £30 million.