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 Building: “The desperate rush to get the parliament open before the work was properly finished means we have a never-ending snagging list.”

In May, Building 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.