Trams inquiry into why they cost a fortune, er, costs a fortune at £12m
THE cost of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry has soared beyond £12million, it was disclosed yesterday.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Hardie, was announced by Alex Salmond in 2014 and it completed evidence sessions more than three years ago.
But there is still no confirmed timescale for when the inquiry will finally conclude – and both Transport Scotland and the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry have repeatedly refused to say how much Lord Hardie is being paid.
From when it was first announced, it has now taken longer for the tram inquiry to conclude than it took to construct the entire route.
In a written response to Conservative MSP Miles Briggs, Transport Minister Graeme Dey said: ‘The amount spent on the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry to date is just over £12million.’
Mr Briggs, MSP for Lothian, said: ‘The costs around the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry have totally spiralled out of control and now stand at over £12million. Taxpayers will be further incensed that there really does seem to be no end in sight to the inquiry and Scottish taxpayers footing the bill.
‘We know that this SNP Government are not keen on transparency or accountability, and so it’s no surprise SNP ministers are refusing to reveal the total and full costs.
‘What is now vital is for the inquiry to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the phase 1 Edinburgh trams project.’
Mr Briggs added: ‘It is also clear that SNP and Labour councillors running Edinburgh City Council must also be held accountable, and I hope that the inquiry will report before next year’s local council elections.’
Construction work began in 2008 and an initial budget of £375million was set aside, only for this to swell to around £1billion before work was finally completed in 2014. A spokesman for the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry said: ‘Lord Hardie’s remit is to conduct a robust inquiry and he has made it clear it will take as long as is necessary to get the answers the public wants in relation to the issues surrounding the Edinburgh trams project.
‘The inquiry’s evidential database contains over three million documents that have to be carefully considered, which is an extensive but vital task. We continue to make good progress towards producing the final report and recommendations which will be published as soon as practicable.’
The spokesman added: ‘The Inquiries Act 2005 obliges the chair to consider cost at all times since it is funded from the public purse. Throughout the process all efforts have been made to ensure the inquiry delivers best value.’
But the inquiry also said any questions about costs are for Transport Scotland to answer.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: ‘We have agreed to continue to fund the costs of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry until it is completed. Final costs will be published when they become available. Staffing matters, including how many people the inquiry employs and how much they are paid, are a matter for the inquiry.
‘This is because, as a statutory inquiry, it is independent of the Scottish Government.
‘The Edinburgh Tram Inquiry was of course established to look at how any mistakes or failures could be avoided in future major tram and light rail infrastructure projects, and we look forward to receiving Lord Hardie’s findings when they are made available.’