Swinney rejects Treasury proposals to pay for bridge

Published on Sunday 5 April 2009 22:18

SCOTTISH ministers have rejected Treasury proposals to pay for the new Forth bridge, it was confirmed yesterday.

Scottish finance secretary John Swinney told the UK Government that its plans to release 1 billion for the replacement crossing would not amount to any new money.

Yvette Cooper, the UK Treasury Secretary, had suggested that the Scottish Government might like to use a series of financial packages to help fund the 2 billion bridge.

These included giving the Scottish Government access to end-of-year underspent budgets, 500 million in Barnett consequentials of the London crossrail project and increased efficiency savings.

But yesterday Mr Swinney wrote to Ms Cooper arguing that her plans would not make any difference to the funding problems over the new Forth Bridge.

"I do not believe that your suggestions have identified any methods of covering the cost of the project which would in practice ease the pressures which my initial approach to you last year was seeking to achieve," Mr Swinney wrote.

Labour leader Iain Gray said the Treasury plans would have totalled 1.1 billion in additional funding for Scotland.

"This bizarre refusal confirms that the SNP's gut instinct is always to play politics, rather than to work in the interests of Scotland," Mr Gray said.