The Scottish parliament is considering suing building contractors after it emerged that it has spent almost £650,000 over the past year repairing ceiling leaks

Specialists have had to repair several parts of the £430m parliament building’s roof. It is understood that at the moment there are more than a dozen leaks in the building, including two in the debating chamber.

A spokesperson for the parliament said: “We are considering recovering costs from contractors that may be liable for the leaks.”

The parliament’s most recent accounts revealed that £646,000 has been spent on “general building leaks”. Overall maintenance of the building costs about £1m a year.

Last year a senior source at the parliament told ΢Ȧ: “The desperate rush to get the parliament open before the work was properly finished means we have a never-ending snagging list.”

In May, ΢Ȧ revealed that many of the oak poles that form part of the facade of the structure would be taken down to be renewed or repaired.

Designed by Stirling prize-winner Enric Miralles, the building went 10 times over budget and was completed three years late.