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No cost for maintenance of flags has been incurred in the past 15 years. If a flag is damaged it is replaced with a new one. 

The SPCB owns and operates five number flagpoles, and they are approximately 8.2 metres in height. There has been no general maintenance works needed to the flag poles in the last 15 years with the only cost for each being the annual LOLER inspection. LOLER stands for Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations and the flag poles are included within other inspections of the same type carried out across the parliament. The cost for LOLER inspection is included within the planned building maintenance contract and we do not hold information in a format which allows us to identify the flagpole inspections as an individual item. 

The total cost for maintenance of the lift system for the past four years including financial year 24-25 is as follows. For financial year 20/21 we do not hold information in a format that allows us to identify the costs of maintaining the lifts as it was included within a project capacity and therefore wouldn’t be accurate to what was spent solely on maintenance. All costs provided exclude VAT.

• 2024/25 - £30,411.89
• 2023/24 - £28,384.80
• 2022/23 - £25,012.17
• 2021/22 - £13,375.91

The beekeeper takes measures to prevent diseases and pests, maintains the hygiene and safety of the bee colonies  and ensures that all disease prevention treatments are provided. This includes checking for notifiable pests and diseases, which if found would be reported to the .

The beekeeper maintains accurate beekeeping records, carries out hive inspections during the summer months and provides appropriate care and/or preventative maintenance as required.

The total cost for gardening and landscaping maintenance services in the last five years including financial year 24-25 is as follows. Costs exclude VAT.

• 2024/25 - £17,435.56
• 2023/24 - £17,144.11
• 2022/23 - £16,067.58
• 2021/22 - £14,593.62
• 2020/21 - £14,168.56

During the last five years 500 desk chairs have been purchased – these include chairs for Local Offices, Holyrood and Homeworkers (which include the covid years). We cannot provide the costs due to commercial confidentiality.

The operating costs for the crèche over the last five years has been as follows –

2023/24        £108k

2022/23        Service closed

2021/22        Service closed

2020/21        Service closed

2019/20        £145k

We are unable to provide information predating 2024. In 2024, we had one flag which was stolen.

The Parliament currently owns 180 flags for external and internal use. There is not a published list of which flags we own.