Calls have been made to lift the lid on costs met by Edinburgh Council for events hosted in the city to mark the death of the Queen.
The capital became the focus of mourning in the week that followed Her Majesty's passing in September as her coffin was transported from her Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire for a procession up the Royal Mile followed by a period of lying in state in St Giles Cathedral.
This formed part of Operation Unicorn, the codename for the meticulously-planned set of events that take take place in the event of a monarch dying in Scotland.
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And whilst it was implemented by the Scottish Government, the extent to which the council had to dip into its own funds during the week is not yet known.
Green Party councillor in Edinburgh, Alys Mumford, has now called on officials to publish the bill footed by the local authority over the period of mourning.
Cllr Mumford has also urged council leader Cammy Day to press Westminster and Holyrood to reimburse Edinburgh for any costs met, and raised questions over how much the council would have to contribute to royal visits in the future.
Speaking in the City Chambers last month, her group colleague Ben Parker told councillors some staff worked 18-hour days in the aftermath of the sovereign's demise, which Mr Day admitted should not be expected of any employees.
Total additional pay to waste and cleansing staff who worked on the day of the Queen's funeral, which was declared a public holiday, is estimated at around £16k, a freedom of information request revealed.
Councillor Mumford, whose attempt to ascertain information on the cost of Operation Unicorn was blocked by the Lord Provost last month, is set to table a motion at a full council meeting on Thursday (October 27) requesting a detailed report.
Whilst congratulating officers and council bosses for 'successfully running Operation Unicorn', the motion notes the city incurred 'significant logistical challenges and costs' as a result of 'last minute changes' to the plan.
Among the key information requested is the amount of overtime worked by officers as part of the delivery of ceremonies, whether this time has been taken back yet and the impact this had on the wider functioning of the council.
If councillors support the motion, the report will also include details of cost to the council for crowd control and the management of the queue to view the Queen's coffin, road closures, and the proclamation of Charles III.
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