Ministers told to resist calls for Forth Bridge money

Published on Wednesday 15 July 2009 10:09

MINISTERS were urged in the Commons to "stand firm" and resist demands for extra money for the new Forth Bridge.

The Scottish Government is pressing ahead with plans to build the crossing but there are doubts how the estimated 2.3 billion price tag will be met.

Labour Wolverhampton South-West MP Rob Marris yesterday said Scotland received "shedloads" of cash already from the British taxpayer and the money should be raised by the Scottish Government through taxation.

Treasury financial secretary Stephen Timms said the British government had offered "flexibility" but funding for the crossing was a devolved matter. He was responding to calls from Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie (Dunfermline and Fife West) who called on ministers to allow the Scottish Government to have "new borrowing powers" to allow it to raise more cash.

Mr Marris said: "Could you assure me the government will hold firm? Scotland already gets shedloads of money under the Barnett Formula. They are entitled to raise their own taxes and this government should stand firm against this bridge."

Mr Timms said "It is an important project but it does need to be carried out within the economic framework applying to the UK."