Unite the Union’s Executive Council meets tomorrow to receive a report on the union’s hugely over-budget Birmingham Conference Centre and Hotel Project. Here are ten questions that should be asked and answered:

1. What is the full cost up to the present date of Unite the Union’s Birmingham Conference Centre and Hotel project?
2. What will be the total and final cost of Unite the Union’s Birmingham Conference Centre and Hotel project when it is completed?
3. Who prepared the budget for the Unite’s Bham building project; what was the planned cost, timetable and completion date, how and when was this agreed by the union?
4. Who has approved subsequent increases in costs for Unite’s Bham building project, and how and when were these cost increases reported to the union’s Executive?
5. If it is correct (as reported in the Guardian) that Unite’s 2019 Annual Return states £74M in costs for the Bham project to December 2019, then when was this reported to the Executive? https://t.co/s5Ej0YaYJt
6. How and when was the Bham building project competitively tendered by Unite? What was advertised by the Union, when did this happen and in which publications did the tender appear?
7. Which companies bid for Unite the Union’s Bham construction project? Where are the documents that show the bidders, their proposals and an evaluation of the bids? Why was the contract awarded to the successful bidder?
8. Has the maintenance contract on Unite’s unopened Bham property been competitively tendered? How much was it for, where and when did this tender appear, and how was the contractor appointed?
9. What is the full list of contracts let by Unite in relation to the Birmingham building project? How were these tendered?
10. What is the role of Blackhorse HCC Ltd, a Unite controlled company reported as owning 76% of the Bham conference centre and hotel? Why is this company used, what powers does it have, how have the directors been appointed, how does it report to the Unite Executive?

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