With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will group questions 2 and 4. I thank the Members for their questions. The ongoing situation with the roof repairs for Parliament Buildings is an issue that the Assembly Commission has taken extremely seriously and on which it has reviewed updates at its recent meetings. Until recently, the Assembly Commission had refrained from undertaking a full range of remedial works, based on advice that that could prejudice the Commission's legal position. As the Member will be aware, the Commission has issued proceedings against Hamilton Architects and Tracey Brothers for negligence, breach of statutory duty and breach of contract arising from defects to the roof.

The Assembly Commission received advice in February of this year that, due to the ongoing deterioration and associated health and safety concerns, and following the exchange of expert architect and engineer reports with the two defendants, the legal position had changed and that the Assembly Commission could now undertake remedial works to address all the defects. As a result, the Assembly Commission is now moving forward to appoint contractors under a construction and procurement delivery framework in order to undertake immediate health and safety repairs and scope out the full range of remedial repairs that are required. The initial health and safety works will be carried out over the summer. The full remedial works will prevent any further deterioration, address the issues that are related to the damaged stonework and resolve the ongoing issues of water ingress in Parliament Buildings. A detailed plan outlining the timetable for those works will be produced following the scoping work that will be carried out during the summer recess. The Assembly Commission will continue its legal action against Hamilton Architects and Tracey Brothers to recover the full cost of the repairs.