Government was last night urged to put rumours to rest by finally spilling the beans on the progress of the new senior secondary school.

Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Erwin Adderley said Government must be aware of the numerous rumours circulating about the progress of the $70 million project, and said it was its responsibility to assure the public.

He said that a month ago the Minister responsible for the site, Alex Scott, had stated that the project was about two months behind schedule, and said a comprehensive report would probably be released via the media “shortly”.

However, claims had now arisen that the school was possibly nine months to a year behind schedule, and no update had been forthcoming from the Minister of Works and Engineering.

“Yes, admittedly, a good number of projects go off the rails and end up being late and go over budget,” said Mr. Adderley.

“This is not an unusual set of circumstances. However, if it's a matter of months late, that is acceptable; If it's a year late, then something major has gone wrong.

“The most important thing is for Government to come clean. They should put the public in the picture. That's all we are asking for.

“The delays may be justified, but we have concerns because we are not getting the information.”

Mr. Adderley said he believed Mr. Scott had lied about the delay of the project, along with the refurbishment of the Post Office in St. George's, and the Old Town's Police station.

“We just can't believe anything that he tells us,” said Mr. Adderley.

“He promised us an update in late September - that was a month ago and we are still waiting. That's another promise that he has failed to keep.

“Rumours are out there. A number of people have heard them, so Government must have. If rumours are spreading, it's Government's responsibility to allay the fears of the public.”

But Mr. Adderley said he also had major concerns about the cost of the project and said he wanted an assurance that the general public would not pick up the bill.

And he said parents should be told what contingency plans were being put in place for September next year, if the new school was not to open on time.

Mr. Adderley said any delay would cause the cost of the job to rise, at the very least, through manpower, and said the performance bond should be used to meet the additional cost.

He added: “I want the Minister to tell us whether there is a performance bond in place, and who put it up, because there is another rumour that has been circulating for some time that there has never been a bond. Why the secrecy over who put up the bond?

“Can the Minister assure the public that their money is being protected adequately?”