Minister of Works and Engineering Alex Scott has trashed claims that the roof of the new senior school development was not under warranty.

He said allegations that SKB Coatings had withdrawn its guarantee because the roofing materials were not being installed to the company's specifications did not matter at all.

The Minister said although SKB had supplied most of the materials for the first section of the Berkeley school roof, a different contractor, Creative Accents, had been actually installing it.

He said: "Another contractor is putting SKB material on the new second senior school site, and they are providing the warranty."

And he said during the budget in the House of Assembly this week: "SKB are a supplier of roofing materials only. SKB do not provide any warranty for roofs installed.

"It's the applicator who installs it that gives the warranty."

The Royal Gazette reported how SKB had threatened to withdraw its warranty because one of its materials for the roof had been replaced by something else.

Instead of using small, foam sheeting as part of the roofing system, as suggested by SKB, Creative Accents had used larger foam sheets, instead.

SKB is said to have had several discussions with general contractor of the site Pro-Active Management Systems Ltd. about the issue, and had ultimately said the roof would not be guaranteed.

But this week, Mr. Scott said SKB had also provided the roofing materials when CedarBridge Academy was built more than five years' ago - and had guaranteed it - but still there were leaks. "When the roofing materials were put down to their specifications, as they had said, it leaked and we (Government) had a $200,000 bill as a consequence."

But asked why Government had paid the repair bill when the roof was under warranty, Mr. Scott said: "I don't know. That was done under the previous watch (of the United Bermuda Party)."

Vice-president of the National Liberal Party Graeme Outerbridge told The Royal Gazette this week that he decided to resign his position on the Works and Engineering board because of issues arising out of the new school project.

He said he was frustrated that his questions about the project were not being answered, and said both technical officers and Mr. Scott were missing from several meetings.

But he said he had also had concerns about the roof.

But this week in Parliament, Mr. Scott said technical officers gave two presentations to the board about the $68 million project, and the Minister said claims that he and technical officers were not present at several meetings were not true.

But Mr. Scott said that Mr. Outerbridge had also never raised the issue of the roof while he was serving on the board.

He added: "It may have been an after thought, or a new thought, but it was not a thought he shared with his board members."