THE much-delayed Berkeley project has taken another step towards completion according to Government.

But there is still no word on when students will be able to start lessons at the trouble-hit new senior school.

At a press conference yesterday, Works & Engineering Minister David Burch confirmed that the school was "substantially completed" and had been handed over to the Ministry of Education.

"What is required now is a licence agreement that has been signed by myself and the Minister of Education and currently resides with the Board of Governors of the Berkeley Institute. Once that is signed I presume the Ministry of Education will hand the facility over to the school," Minister Burch said.

But last night neither Education Minister Terry Lister nor chairman of the school's Board of Trustees Calvin White could be contacted to confirm when the school will be ready for students.

The Board of Trustees has already confirmed that it will need three months to prepare the school once it takes control of the site ? putting the grand opening back to at least the start of May. And last night Shadow Works & Engineering Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said it would now make no sense for the school to open before September.

And she also called on Government to hold an inquiry into why the building went massively over budget and took so long to complete.

Construction on the scandal-hit project started in 2001 and should have been completed by September 2003 at a cost of $71 million. The final price tag now stands at more than $121 million.

"While the Government is contemplating the terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry into the Belco fire, the timing may also be appropriate for them to consider a similar Commission of Inquiry into the time and cost overruns at the Berkeley site," Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said.

"We are sympathetic that the Belco fire impacted every resident in terms of lost power, lost business and inconvenience.

"We are also fully cognisant, however, that the opportunity costs of wasted money and time expended on the Berkeley project would have greater long-term implications for each and every citizen.

"I am certain the Government would be equally anxious to uncover the circumstances that led to such wanton waste and reckless disregard for prudent use of taxpayers' funds.