The cost of the new parliament has risen from £40m to £401m
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The estimated cost of the new Scottish Parliament building has risen again to £430m, it has been announced.
Presiding Officer George Reid blamed the latest increase on delays in building work and the scramble to finish on time this summer.
He hoped this would be the last big rise in the cost before the Holyrood project is completed.
The increase of up to £29m was greeted with anger by the Conservatives and the Scottish National Party.
The estimated cost of the project is now between £425m and £430m, depending on how much is included in the contingency fund.
Mr Reid and the other MSPs on the parliament's management committee were given the figures on Tuesday morning.
The presiding officer said that the bulk of the extra costs were due to delays in glazing and stone cladding work, which had led to delays elsewhere.
The new building is still due to be completed by July, with the move taking place between then and September.
However, Mr Reid warned that if work was not finished by the summer entry could be delayed until 2005.
He said: "I deeply regret this further increase in costs to the public purse.
"Over the past month there has been major work completed on site, without which the cost rise would have been significantly higher."
He said contractor Bovis was confident that the programme would be completed by July.
"Provided that happens, this should be the last rise in Holyrood costs," he said.
However, Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie said: "The claim that there will be no further cost increases will be taken with a huge pinch of salt.
"This is Scotland's disgrace and a shocking waste of taxpayers' money, which should have been spent on schools, hospitals and roads."
SNP leader John Swinney again demanded that "not a penny more" be spent on the project.
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I deeply regret this further increase in costs to the public purse
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