Letter: Trust our figures

Your report (2 September) on the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) quotes one MSP questioning the veracity of the statement that SFT generated net savings and benefits of £111 million from our work during 2009-10.

As our announcement made clear, SFT's benefits statement was independently verified by both Grant Thornton LLP and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Full details of the methodology and a detailed breakdown of the benefits are on SFT's website. Taxpayers can examine these figures - and the supporting statements from these highly respected organisations - for themselves.

The need for better value for money in the public sector was recognised by the recent Independent Budget Review (IBR) report, which called for a "central role for the Scottish Futures Trust in addressing the significant task of prioritising and maximising benefit from the capital investment programme".

This recommendation resulted from the IBR's in-depth look at the financial challenges facing Scotland.

SFT remains completely committed to our task and we will deliver further benefits and savings for the taxpayer next year.

Barry White

Scottish Futures Trust

Thistle Street

Edinburgh