By Simon Willis Newsnight Scotland

The new Scottish Parliament building appears to be leaking heat, energy and money.

The survey of Holyrood highlighted "hot spots"

A team of thermographic surveyors from Dundee-based IRT Surveys found large hot spots, which they claim show a waste of energy.

IRT said insulation behind granite cladding could be missing, damaged or so inundated with water as to be ineffective.

Initial results were shown by the firm to the parliament's architects, but IRT insisted they were told "there wasn't the budget for a full survey".

The parliament said it was not prepared to comment on a failed sales pitch.

White is the worst area for energy inefficiency Stewart Little IRT Surveys

In the new thermal image of the parliament building you can see heat loss, and where heat is lost, so is money.

In the images blue and green is good, while red and especially white is bad.

IRT Surveys made the front pages of national newspapers last week when they photographed heat loss from Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.

Spokesman Stewart Little said: "White is the worst area for energy inefficiency.

The firm compared the Scottish Parliament, Bute House and the Scottish Executive

"So essentially, the white areas you are seeing there's either an awful lot of heat leaving the building because of missing, damaged insulation, or there's water actually pouring down the back of that cladding panel."

When the firm surveyed the Scottish Parliament they found several red and white areas.

A Holyrood spokeswoman dismissed the claims that the building was not energy efficient.

She said: "There are so many variables in the taking of these images that it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions.

"Not only does the parliament seek to generate energy in an efficient way, Holyrood also has systems in place to minimise the amount of energy it uses.

"None of the companies involved in these 'assessments' of the parliament have actually seen the building's designs, interiors of the roofs, or discussed the detail of the parliament's environmental controls with any parliament official."

RMJM added: "Every measure has been taken in the design to ensure the building has exemplary environmental performance and comfortably exceeds statutory building regulations requirements."

IRT said the Scottish Executive came out best

The imaging also looked at the first minister's official residence Bute House and the Scottish Executive building at Victoria Quay in Leith, also built by architects RMJM.

IRT Surveys said Bute House, the oldest of the three buildings, could be improved with better insulation.

The executive building did however appear to come out looking thermally efficient.