Agency 'failed the public' over trams

Transport Scotland has been accused of a "dereliction of duty" over its role in the trams fiasco.

Labour MSP Hugh Henry, convener of the Scottish Parliament's audit committee, said the government agency had failed to protect the public purse by "passively" signing off cheques without ensuring greater scrutiny of the 545 million project. An Audit Scotland report last week said Transport Scotland should take a greater role in the project.

Meanwhile, Vic Emery, new chairman of council-owned trams firm TIE, has claimed there is "nothing completely unusual" about a big project seeing bitter wrangles with the lead contractor.