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Mixed report for transport plans Concern over airport rail plans
(about 1 hour later)
Scotland's auditor general has identified a number of problems in the project to build an underground railway station at Edinburgh Airport. Scotland's spending watchdog has expressed concern about Edinburgh's planned airport rail link.
However, he has given the city's trams development a clean bill of health. It is unlikely to be up and running by the 2011 target date, according to auditor general Robert Black.
Robert Black was asked to review the schemes after the new Scottish government expressed cost concerns. However he gave a second project, to deliver trams for the Scottish capital, a clean bill of health.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said the report had raised serious issues. He is to present his assessment to the parliament on Wednesday. Finance Secretary John Swinney, who has expressed concerns that both projects do not represent value for money, said the findings had raised serious issues.
The government had concerns that the two projects did not represent value for money. They have been costed at about £600m each. The Scottish government's decision to call in the auditor was heavily criticised by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who suggested Mr Black was being used to overturn policy decisions.
Two weeks ago, Auditor General Robert Black was called in to review how the figures had been arrived at. We believe it is critical to the success of the rail project that this problem is addressed without delay Willie Gallagher, executive chairman,Tie
Labour and the Liberal Democrats had criticised the move. Although both the trams and airport projects previously received parliamentary backing, no decision has been taken over their future.
Mr Swinney said: "The report raises a number of serious concerns about governance and development issues which we would have expected to be in better shape than the auditor general finds them, particularly in relation to the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (Earl). The auditor general's report stated that the estimated £593m cost of the trams project had been subjected to "robust testing" and sound financial management.
"This vindicates my decision to seek further scrutiny of the projects the new government inherited and provides further assessment on which decisions can be made." But as well as concerns about delivery of the airport rail link, which may cost up to £650m, the auditor said there was a higher level of uncertainty over the project than might be expected because "key decisions" had yet to be made.
Policy decisions Mr Swinney claimed he had been vindicated in his decision to order the investigation, adding that it had provided further information on which a decision could be made.
The projects were backed by the last parliament, although no final decisions have been taken on their future. "The report raises a number of serious concerns about governance and development issues which we would have expected to be in better shape than the auditor general finds them, particularly in relation to the Edinburgh Airport rail link," he said.
The new government said its priority was to protect Scottish taxpayers and ensure that major transport projects benefited travellers and the economy. Tie, the organisation managing the two projects, said it shared the auditor general's concerns over the airport link and were working to resolve them.
Although the Tories and Edinburgh City Council welcomed the move in order to bring further clarity, Labour and the Liberal Democrats suggested the auditor general was being used to overturn policy decisions. Executive chairman Willie Gallagher said: "We believe it is critical to the success of the rail project that this problem is addressed without delay."
Meanwhile, a recent survey of commuters in Edinburgh claimed support for plans for a tram network in the city.
More than three quarters of 850 workers and students on the city waterfront said they would use the tram, according to the work by transport body Transform Scotland.