Parts of the project to build the Island's new senior school are over budget and running weeks late, Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott confirmed yesterday.

However, Mr. Scott said that some elements of the massive $70 million Berkeley Institute construction scheme were actually ahead of schedule.

At a press conference on the scheme, the Minister said: "I can report that aspects of the project are ahead of time. However, I am also required to confirm that some tasks are running behind the planned delivery time by as much as six weeks."

He said the delays could be accounted for by the fact that the contract award was made six weeks later than originally planned.

And he said that re-pricing of materials meant a budget overrun of some $300,000. Recalling the uproar that followed when Pro-Active Management Systems was awarded the $70 million contract, Mr. Scott said that had the Ministry yielded to public pressure and awarded it to the lowest bidder, the project could well have been disrupted.

"Regrettably, the leading contender to Proactive Management Systems Limited shortly after was placed in the hands of a receiver, thereby underscoring the potential disruption to this tightly scheduled and budgeted project if we had yielded to the public pressure of the loyal Opposition, the Chamber of Commerce and the media to award the project to the lowest bidder."

Mr. Scott outlined work already done and said that the plans were to have the site enclosed by the autumn and then start work inside.

"The first structural steel arrived on site on December 2001 and to date 700 tons have been delivered to the site, 400 of which have been erected."

He said the incentive scheme was working well with the project was utilising trainees at all levels and 95 percent of the people working on the site were Bermudians.

"The enclosure of the building will trigger a dramatic increase in the number and activity of all the trades on the site," he said. "The personnel at its peak will be from 200 to 250. The expenditure will be at its highest at this time and will be sustained for a period before tapering off toward the end of the project."

He said that he had been advised by the Solicitor General not to entertain any questions about the latest round of allegations about the project because of an ongoing Police investigation.

"Allegations levelled at the Ministry, the Minister, the staff, the contractor, the and indeed the entire operation have been nothing more than unproven unsubstantiated comments. I maintain that everyone engaged in this from the Minister to the site gatekeeper have taken their responsibility seriously and carried out their duties honestly."

Mr. Scott took the opportunity to answer a series of questions raised in the House of Assembly by the UBP.

"The Ministry of Works and Engineering is the engineer and architect of record for the project; therefore the professional indemnity for this project lies with this Ministry," he said.

"An extensive geo-technical report was compiled prior to the design of the facility, thus as a reference became the basis for the engineering design of the project. Therefore claims suggesting the expenditure of millions of dollars being expended unnecessarily due to foreign engineers' lack of knowledge of local soil conditions are totally unfounded.

"In addressing the method of payment, the contract is based on a detailed `Bill of Quantities', whereby there is a re-measurement of works completed on site and it is on that re-measurement that the contractor is reimbursed. This allows a greater degree of measurement when compared to a traditional `lump sum' contract. These payments are prepared by the quantity surveyor and authorised by the project manager and Permanent Secretary or other personnel with proper signing authority."

He added that the contract had been amended once to allow for an advance payment to purchase a crane.

"This decision was taken to benefit the project and has been done by Government over the life of other contracts such as CedarBridge Academy, Tynes Bay and the like."

And the Minister stressed that he did not, as Minister authorise payments.

He added: "I wish to once again solicit the support of all my Parliamentary colleagues on both sides of the aisle for this important endeavour. I accept and encourage the press to continue to be vigilant as we progress the project. I undertake to be as forthright as one practically can with a construction scheme of this magnitude.

"However, I wish to discourage those who choose to mischievously undermine our work and encourage the community to rally around this national commitment to advance our educational facilities."

Asked why the project had been surrounded with rumours, criticisms and allegations from its inception, Mr. Scott said he did not really know but he believed that there was a fair amount of disappointment on the part of those who lost out on the lucrative contract.

"To be honest the Opposition has a job to do. And when we were the Opposition we made critical comments but one has to be careful it stays within acceptable bounds."

He added that he accepted some responsibility because he did not provide enough information early enough.

"I must admit since we have been forthcoming, the allegations have begun to disappear and comments have been factual. I am very pleased with the media who have always been very professional in dealing with myself."

Project manager Kyril Burrows said that the project had not presented any challenges that were out of the ordinary.