Bute House: Nicola Sturgeon says ‘essential safety work’ was carried out and house is ‘not being used as a residence’

At Friday’s coronavirus briefing the First Minister was asked about work carried out at her official residence in Edinburgh after it was revealed that a team of workmen had been hired last week.
Nicola Sturgeon says ‘essential safety work’ was carried out and house is ‘not being used as a residence’Nicola Sturgeon says ‘essential safety work’ was carried out and house is ‘not being used as a residence’
Nicola Sturgeon says ‘essential safety work’ was carried out and house is ‘not being used as a residence’

A whistleblower told the Daily Record that a contractor carried out the repair work at Bute House on behalf of Historic Environment Scotland while the Scottish Government insisted that repairs carried out were “essential” at the time.

Speaking at the briefing Ms Sturgeon said that the work carried out was "essential safety work" to "pin part of the plasterwork of a ceiling which was deemed essential as the state it was in was unsafe" and that “no painting or decorating” was done.

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The First Minister added that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus she has not lived at Bute House since the beginning of the pandemic last year and it is currently "not being used as a residence".

When she is not delivering briefings or in Parliament, she is at her own home.

Ms Sturgeon reiterated: “Same rules apply to me and my ministers as they do to everyone in the country. I’m not exempt”

Responding to the question she said she feels it is ‘important’ to address these issues given her ‘relapse’ before Christmas when she took her face-covering off indoors at a wake.

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The Scottish Government’s own Covid-19 rules, updated earlier this month, state: “The ­coronavirus regulations require that work carried out in someone else’s home for the maintenance, upkeep or functioning of the home must only be carried out where it is essential or where that house is unoccupied.

People must not go into other people’s houses for that type of work where it is not essential.”

The 18th century listed building, in Charlotte Square, serves as the official residence of the First Minister when they work in the Capital.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Essential ceiling pinning work has taken place in January at Bute House and was completed on Monday.

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“Contractors managed by Historic Environment Scotland follow all Government guidelines and restrictions and adhere to Covid protocols at all times.”

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