Tax–dodge firms face Forth bridge threat

Companies engaged in tax avoidance may be barred from bidding to maintain the new Forth road bridge.

The Forth Replacement Crossing maintenance contract will also ensure trade union blacklisting does not happen on the bridge, according to transport minister Keith Brown.

He also dismissed Edinburgh council’s concerns that city taxpayers will have to pay compensation to property owners that have been disadvantaged by the bridge construction works, saying that the government “will take on these obligations”.

Speaking at Holyrood’s infrastructure and capital investment committee, he said: “The contract that we intend to go into will contain provisions for ethical sourcing practices, which means that freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining . . . are respected.”