Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott last night outlined progress made on the Berkeley senior school construction project while robustly refuting suggestions made by this newspaper and Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons in respect of the latest controversy surrounding the project.

He said that contractor Pro-Active was committed to completing the school by September 4, 2003 and a press conference detailing progress on the project will be held in two weeks.

Pro-Active Management Systems was required to set up systems to effectively manage the project when the project started.

"Pro-Active then set out the various phases of work with their local subcontractors" and arranged to have materials delivered on site when needed.

"It must be understood that the site of approximately six acres is fully utilised in the construction of this project," Mr. Scott said.

Five water storage tanks, with a combined capacity of 250,000 gallons, had been excavated in the early stages.

"In the early stages all of the tanks are below grade and not visible from public vantage points. Pro-Active then commenced activities on the entire site. They range from footings to ground slabs to the various building units," the Minister continued.

"As the activity on site has increased so has the labour force. The first structural steel arrived in December 2001 and it has been as busy as a beehive's nest ever since. The building is primarily established on two levels. Works are progressing at both levels with the intent being to work from the back of the site out to the front of the site, adjacent to Berkeley Road."

He added : "To date, 2,900 cubic yards of concrete has been cast on the project. In addition, 326 tons of structural steel has been erected with a further 261 tons on site. This represents a large portion of the structural steel for the project. The present labour resource on site is approximately 100-110 personnel of which 95 percent are Bermudian. I repeat 95 percent are Bermudian."

He said all project managers have trainee shadows as do Electrical and Mechanical supervisors.

"It is also important to note that the Ministry has also put into place our graduate Engineers and Architects. The Ministry of Works and Engineering are affording them an opportunity to work on this momentous project and gain experience towards their professional designation."

Mr. Scott said that human and financial resources being put into the project will increase as work progresses and peaks during the late summer months.

"The site personnel at the peak will be from 200 to approximately 250. The expenditure at this point would be of the order of $200,000 a day. Thus far to date certified payments equate to one-sixth the value of the project. This amount will increase substantially as we get into the late summer months, when all the building trades will be in force for the duration of the project."

He said utility connections will be done during the summer to avoid disruption to schools in the area.

The Minister also took the opportunity to respond to an editorial in this newspaper which reflected on his allegations of a politically motivated plot to induce one of his officers to hand over documents relating to the project.

And he criticised Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons for not showing any sympathy to the victims of the alleged plot.

"The editorial `scribe' missed the mark entirely when he/she concluded, "the greater mystery, as Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons has pointed out concerns the mysterious documents'. There are no mysterious documents. Mr. Speaker, the mysterious documents are the figments of the Opposition Leader's fertile imagination. The editorial writer missed the mark by a mile when claiming `either they (the documents) are damaging or they are not. The Minister cannot have it both ways'.

"Mr. Speaker, the Minister indeed has it another way - the alleged documents don't exist ! Therefore there is no problem."

Mr. Scott pointed out that civil servants are bound by the Official Secrets Act which makes it an offence to disclose official information without official permission.

He reiterated that a formal complaint regarding the matter will be forwarded to the Police. The specific behaviour being complained of, he explained, likely violates the Summary Offences Act which provides for a $2,880 fine or six month imprisonment or both for interfering with the duties of a public officer.

A barrage a questions on the timetable and progress on the Berkeley project were also put to Mr. Scott by Opposition Works and Engineering spokesman Erwin Adderley.

He called on Government to come clean over Berkeley to clear up public fears by answering his questions.

He asked Mr. Scott to assure the public the project would be completed within budget or say how much it would bust its budget.

Mr. Scott replied that it was on budget.

Mr. Adderley asked if there was a delay in completing the structural design because no local engineers would sign off on the project because the engineers were not registered in Bermuda.

Mr. Scott replied "no".

And he was asked by Mr. Adderley if hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions have been spent unnecessarily because engineers had no knowledge of local soil conditions.

He also asked if there had been a two-week delay in releasing steel from the dock because contractors could not pay. Mr. Scott denied this.

Mr. Adderley asked if a crane has sat on the dock because customs duty had not been paid, again causing delay.

He said Mr. Scott had promised that the project would be completed on time. Mr. Adderley said: "In the light of the suggested delays will the Minister state whether or not workers are being paid overtime to make up for lost time?"

He also probed about payment for work, enquiring whether payment was given under when work was completed, as is the normal practice, or whether another system was being used.

He added: "Is there any truth to the suggestion that contractors or sub-contractors have been paid in advance of work being started or completed or that Government has loaned money to contractors?"

Mr. Adderley also wanted to know the total paid out on the project to date and if there was any truth to allegations the minister has withheld or is withholding funding payments to contractors.

He added: "Is it true that as a result of your withholding monies to the contractors certain sub-contractors have not been paid?

"Is there a performance and completion bond in place for the entire project, if so, what is the amount and who is the carrier?"

He said the Opposition were not casting aspersions about the Berkeley contractors competence.

He said: "The Minister is doing a disservice by not answering these questions. If he cleared up matters there would be no speculation or aspersions."

United Bermuda Party colleague Allan Marshall reminded Mr. Scott that he had promised monthly briefings on the progress of Berkeley and that the Chamber of Commerce had raised concerns about bidding for the $70 million contract.

He said: "Is the Minister telling the truth when he said recently that the project is six weeks behind or now when he says the project is on time?"