THE HAGUE, 28/11/03 - The Socialist Party (SP) and leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) are conspicuous by absence in the parliamentary commission investigating the costs of large public works. Earlier, theirs were the loudest calls for such an investigation.

Both SP and GroenLinks say there is no question of disinclination. Both parties, with 9 and 8 seats in parliament respectively, say they have a shortage of manpower. Both already have an MP in the commission looking into integration policy in the past 30 years. Additionally, it has been agreed in the Presidium of the Lower House that MPs who have been spokespeople on the mega-projects involved may not sit on the commission. "Regrettable, but that is the snag of being a small party," concluded SP MP Gerkens yesterday.

The commission is to investigate why big infrastructure projects constantly turn out more expensive than budgeted. Among others, it will be looking at the Betuwe goods railway from Rotterdam to Germany and the high-speed railway from Amsterdam to Brussels (HSL Zuid). Its chairman is Labour (PvdA) MP Duivensteijn.