Scottish Government 'tried to cover up oil line liability'

THE Scottish Government has been accused of trying to "cover up" its liability for a multi-million pound payout to oil giant BP if work on the Forth Replacement Crossing damages an underground pipeline.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie today told Holyrood that discussions between BP and Transport Scotland had been going on "for months" regarding a potential 100 million liability for damage to the line.

He said these discussions predated the Forth Crossing Act`s passage through Parliament, and said MSPs had a right to know about the potential for massive payouts while they were debating the Bill.

The Act, which authorises the construction of the new 2.3 billion crossing, was given royal assent last month.

The Scottish Government was also accused of trying to perpetuate this alleged "cover up" this week, when the Finance Committee took the decision to hold a discussion on the liability in private last Tuesday.

Mr Harvie said: "All the evidence points to a serious cover-up here on several fronts.

"Ministers knew about this issue years ago, yet they withheld the information from Parliament until the legislation had been passed."

Mr Harvie called on Holyrood's Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson to investigate whether proper procedures had been followed.

Mr Harvie said: "This week the Finance Committee met in private to consider an additional liability that the Government has identified in relation to the additional bridge they wish to build over the Forth.

"It now appears though, from BP, the operators of the pipeline in question, that discussions have been ongoing with Transport Scotland regarding precisely this for months and well in advance of that Bill being brought to Parliament.

"No opportunity was given for public scrutiny either in the Hybrid Bill Committee, or Finance, or the Transport Committee at that time."

He added: "Does there need to be clearer guidance for the basis on which private meetings can be held in order to avoid any assumption that there could be something as traditional as a good old fashioned cover-up going on."

The Presiding Officer told Mr Harvie to take the matter up with the convener of the Finance Committee, and if he remained unsatisfied, he should put his concerns to him in writing.