THE Culture Committee of the Scottish Parliament has criticised Glasgow School of Art's response to its report into the two disastrous fires at the Mackintosh Building.
A new statement signals an apparent growing tension between the committee and the management of the art school (GSA), the board of which is chaired by Muriel Gray.
The committee expresses dismay that the GSA, in its formal response, questioned some of the evidence taken at the Parliament hearings.
READ MORE: The GSA response which has drawn the MSPs ire
The committee, which is led by convenor Joan McAlpine MSP, says: "The recommendations made in the Committee’s report are based on the balance of evidence provided over the course of the inquiry taking cognisance of the views of a variety of parties with a range of experience and expertise.
"The Committee is therefore extremely disappointed that the GSA’s response seeks to question the credibility of the evidence provided by some of the witnesses."
It adds: "Notwithstanding the more technical evidence provided in relation to fire safety at the Mackintosh site, a number of GSA alumni (most notably two former Directors at the art school) expressed serious concerns about the GSA’s ability to adequately manage the building, suggesting that serious consideration be given to it being placed in a Trust...it is therefore disappointing that the GSA make little or no reference to many of the recommendations contained in the report opting instead to attack the credibility of witnesses.
"Given that two fires took place at the Mackintosh Building in a short period of time, and the serious concerns raised in oral and written evidence regarding the management of the building, the Committee considers it extraordinary that Ms Gray should consider that the function of the Committee’s report should have been to compliment the GSA on their management of the building.
"Instead the Committee’s focus was on learning lessons from the tragic events that have taken place at the Mackintosh building.
"The Committee fails to see any evidence from the GSA response that lessons have been learned within the GSA."
READ MORE: The GSA responds to Parliament report
In March, a report by the Culture Committee called for a full public inquiry into the two fires at the Mackintosh Building of the school (GSA) of 2014 and 2018.
Earlier this month, the GSA published a response to the report, which noted its frustration with Kier Construction Scotland, which was working on the historic building when it the fire destroyed much of the building last June, whilst also questioning some of the evidence taken at committee hearings.
The new committee letter today, returning to the issue of the mist suppression system which was not complete before the first, 2014 fire, adds: "While the Committee accepts that the building was compliant with the relevant fire safety standards, after identifying severe risks to the building, it is arguable the GSA did not in terms of the balance of evidence taken by this Committee, do enough to safeguard the building.
"In oral evidence Ms Gray described the suppression system as an enhancement.
"However, the Committee maintains that the GSA having identified serious risks, and understanding both the cost and complexity of the chosen suppression system, should have considered what interim measures could have been implemented to ensure the building safety."
A spokeswoman for the GSA said that it has received the statement, noting it was released on the afternoon of the school's Degree Shows opening, and said the school would take some time to read it and respond to its contents carefully.
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