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Performance monitoring of all contractors is a normal on-going process of the management of the Parliament building project. As a result of this process, Design Team members began to have concerns about the performance of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd during May 2001. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that tangible assurances, in terms of recovery programmes and sample delivery dates, were subsequently provided by the contractor and work commenced on site in June 2001.

We invited comments on the report's recommendations when it was published and the consultation period expired on 30 September.

Initial indications from the consultation are that while the majority of respondents are content that the report of the Scottish Charity Law Review Commission correctly identifies current difficulties in the charitable sector, the solutions it suggests may require some refining before implementation. To do this we need to ensure that the voluntary sector and other key agencies have input to the development of both the policy and the legislation required to take forward the recommendations. We have therefore decided to set up a national advisory forum chaired by a senior official of the Justice Department on the implementation of the review of charity law. This will include representatives of the voluntary sector, key professionals, the existing regulatory bodies and officials. This advisory forum will take an overview of implementation issues and in particular advise us on the interaction between the Social Economy Review and the Charity Law Review. We also hope that it will be able to take on board the outcome of the Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit's review of the voluntary sector initiated earlier this year.

The advisory forum will have three sub-groups, consisting partly of key members of the groups itself, and partly of additional members having expertise in specific areas. These sub-groups will concentrate on the three areas of implementation - the definition of "charity"; the role and functions of CharityScotland; and the regulation of public charitable collections. The composition of the main group and of the three sub-groups will be announced in November.

We expect to publish a full response to the consultation once the advisory forum has completed its deliberations.

The relevant costs in this exercise are primarily those associated with staff and consultants' time. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group, that it is not possible to quantify these as information is not recorded in this manner.

The following timber suppliers have been paid for supplying Scottish oak to the Holyrood Project:Birse Community Trust, Banchory.Cookson Tree Services, Forteviot, Perthshire.Cromartie Timber, Strathpeffer.Dundee City Council, Camperdown Park, Dundee.Dynamic Woods, Oakley, Dunfermline.Gilmour & Aitken, Alexandria.Lothian Trees and Timber, Cousland, Dalkeith.Mansfield Estates, Scone Palace, Perth.Martin Swan, Dawyck, Stobo.McConnel Wood Products, Penpont, Dumfriesshire.Rosehill Timber, Laurencekirk.T G Norman (Timber), Longtown, Carlisle.Woodschool, Ancrum, Jedburgh.Payments to sub-contractors for materials supplied to Trade Packages are the responsibility of the relevant, appointed Trade Package contractor.

Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Limited, as Construction Managers for the project, are responsible for managing and monitoring all works packages undertaken on the project. The SPCB first became aware of problems with the MSP Block Cladding contract at their regular meeting with the Holyrood Progress Group on 28 August 2001.

This information is not yet available as much of the timber to be used within works packages for the project has still to be procured. To date, some 40m3 of high quality, Scottish oak has been procured directly by the Parliament for use on the project but, under EC public procurement rules, materials cannot be specified as "Scottish" within the Trade Package documentation. Scottish suppliers are, of course, free to bid to supply any materials specified within Trade Packages.

I refer Ms MacDonald to my answer to S1W-18866 today and confirm that, according to the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group, there is no record of any individuals within the project management raising any concerns about the appointment of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.

Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were appointed following normal competitive tender procedures and, I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that, of the tender bids received, theirs was the only bid which complied with the tender documentation.

Notwithstanding that the Holyrood Progress Group have no formal role in the Trade Package appointment process, no concerns were expressed on the tender recommendation made by the Construction Manager, endorsed by the Design Team and approved by the Holyrood Project Team.

The key senior personnel employed on site by Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, a British company, were either Scottish or English. To the best of the Holyrood Project Team's knowledge, no personnel were recruited from overseas to work on site, but this is solely a matter for the contractor concerned.