Total spend on inquiries into Government projects which have overrun: FOI release

Information requested

“Can you tell me how much money the SNP have spent on enquires into government projects that have overrun financially and have gone beyond the completion date, such as the new forth road bridge, the two new hospitals, the Edinburgh tram line and the two boats being built at the Ferguson yard on the Clyde since Nicola Sturgeon became the First Minister.

”Following our request for clarification, you clarified that this was “the amount of money spent by the Scottish Government while Nicola Sturgeon has been the First Minister” and that you were “looking for the amount of money spent on enquiries into the following projects which have overrun on budget and delivery dates: Queen Elizbeth university Hospital, Royal hospital for sick kids, Edinburgh tram line, new forth road bridge and two ferries being build at the Ferguson yards in Glasgow”.

Response

We have taken each element of your request and have addressed them in turn:

"Queen Elizabeth University Hospital" and "Royal Hospital for Sick Kids"
The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because we believe that these projects are outside thescope of your request into costs of “projects that have overrun financially and have gone beyond the completion date”.

This is because the overarching aim of this Inquiry is “to consider the planning, design, construction, commissioning and, where appropriate, maintenance of both the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH), Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYD/DCN), Edinburgh”. 

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

However, while not being in scope of this particular question, the costs of this Inquiry are publicly available and accessible here: https://www.hospitalsinquiry.scot/inquiry-costs

"Edinburgh Tram Line"
You asked for the total cost of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry since Nicola Sturgeon became the First Minister.

To note that the information we hold is from the start of the 2014-2015 Financial Year, with Nicola Sturgeon becoming First Minister in November 2014. With the 2022-23 Financial Year not having ended as yet, we have incorporated the forecast costs for this year into the below figure. 

By the end of the 2022-23 Financial Year, the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry is forecast to have cost £13,097,413.85.

"New Forth Road Bridge"
The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for as the Forth Replacement Crossing project was delivered within budget, it did not overrun financially and there has been no Inquiry held in respect of the cost of this project.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

"Two Ferries being Built at the Ferguson Yards in Glasgow"
The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because there is no Public Inquiry into these vessels. Costs associated with supporting parliamentary committees with their separate Inquiries on this matter include internal staff time only, which are therefore not recorded.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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