Secret that could have scuppered Holyrood - Scottish Architecture News

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Secret that could have scuppered Holyrood

Archiseek / UK / Scotland / News / 2003 / December 17

The Holyrood juggernaut could have been stopped in its tracks if MSPs had known the true cost of building the Scottish parliament on the site ahead of a crucial vote, it was claimed last night. The real price tag was deliberately withheld from the MSPs when they took the decision to forge ahead with the controversial scheme on 17 June, 1999, the Fraser Inquiry into the fiasco heard yesterday. The Scottish Parliament voted by just three votes to continue with the Holyrood project after Donald Dewar, the then first minister, told MSPs the total cost would be no more than Ł109 million.

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