Senior representatives of the several Tier 2 Building Contractors employed by AMJV to construct Phase 1 PPP1 schools;
• Lilley Construction was appointed by AMJV to construct the Pirrie Hall/St David's Primary School and Broomhouse/St Joseph's Primary School. This company was dissolved in 2013.
• Tulloch Construction was appointed by AMJV to construct Craigroyston Primary School. This company was dissolved in 2012.
• John Dickie and Son Ltd. were appointed by AMJV to undertake the Drummond Community HS project but the construction was taken over by Miller following contractual issues between the companies involved. This company was dissolved in 2014.
• Ogilvie Construction was appointed by AMJV to construct Craigour Primary School. The Managing Director of Ogilvie Construction attended as a witness.
• Robertson Construction was appointed by AMJV to undertake the Royal HS project but the construction was taken over by Miller following contractual issues between the companies involved.
Senior Managers of the firms of bricklaying sub-contractors used on the PPP1 schools by the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Contractors and representatives of current leading firms of bricklaying sub-contractors in Scotland.
• VB Contracts were engaged as bricklaying sub-contractors by Miller Construction for all four Phase 2 PPP1 schools. No response was received to recorded mail requests for the attendance of an ex-senior officer in the company. This company is stated at Companies House as being in liquidation with the last accounts submitted in 2008.
• The Inquiry was advised that Lochpark Builders Ltd had acted as a bricklaying sub-contractor on one or more of the PPP1 schools. An ex-senior officer of the company when contacted expressed an unwillingness to attend as a witness. This company is stated at Companies House as having been dissolved in 2015.
• The Inquiry was informed that a brick-laying sub-contracting company called Brownlee and Hogan acted as sub-contractors for Craigour Primary School, part of Phase 1 of PPP1. The Inquiry was also advised that the Company ceased trading and were in sequestration in 2005.
• Despite both written and verbal requests by the Inquiry to several leading firms of bricklayers, following a period of consideration, they all expressed a reluctance to give evidence on current practice in this area of the construction industry.
Representatives of the three architectural practices involved in the design of the schools; Holmes Miller of Edinburgh; 3DReid of Edinburgh and Hickton Madeley of Telford;
• Two senior directors of Holmes Miller attended as witnesses.
• Holmes Miller also made a written submission to the Inquiry.
• 3DReid Architects of Edinburgh offered a named member of their staff to attend the Inquiry as a witness. However, shortly prior to the date of attendance, the Inquiry was advised that 3DReid no longer intended to attend, despite a further request from the Inquiry to reconsider this decision.
• The Director of 3DReid, who had at the time overseen the design of the five PPP1 projects undertaken by 3DReid, is no longer part of that practice. He is currently with another practice and after consideration advised the Inquiry that he felt unable to attend the Inquiry because of a potential conflict of interest.
• Hickton Madeley, a firm of architects from Telford that had worked collaboratively with 3DReid on the design of the schools, was dissolved as a company in 2011.
Representatives of the structural engineering consultancy, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, which was responsible for the structural design of all 17 projects or any past employees of the firm who had been involved in the design of the PPP1 projects;
• The WSP Operations Director for Building Structures based at Basingstoke attended as a witness
• A senior structural engineer no longer working at WSP, but who was Technical Director for WSP with responsibility for oversight of the provision by WSP of structural engineering services for the original design and construction of all the PPP1 school projects attended as a witness.
Senior Representatives of the two companies who had undertaken the role of Independent Certifiers on the school projects, Mouchel (previously Mouchel Parkman) on the 13 Phase 1 PPP1 projects and Ove Arup and Partners Scotland on the four Phase 2 PPP1 schools.
• The Kier Group acquired Mouchel in April 2015. A senior representative of this company, with responsibility for the group of staff still undertaking the roles of Independent Certifier on behalf of the Kier Group, attended as a witness. He informed us that, as recently as October 2016, WSP, which had provided structural engineering services for the PPP1 projects, had acquired the part of Kier that undertook the Independent Certifier role although that expertise remained with Kier.
• An associate director with Ove Arup and Partners, who had responsibility for oversight of the member of staff, who had undertaken the role of Independent Certifier on the Phase 2 PPP1 schools, attended as a witness.