‘Tram firm was taken advantage of ’ by contractors

● Former chief tells inquiry about relationship ‘breakdown’

A former construction director from Edinburgh’s tram project has said the contractors tasked with diverting utilities took advantage of inexperience within their team of TIE counterparts.

Graeme Barclay joined tram firm TIE in March 2007 after being asked to take over the MUDFA (utility diversion) programme.

Mr Barclay told the tram inquiry that when he joined the firm there was confusion within the MUDFA team about the definition of people’s individual roles.

He also said it was clear that there had been a breakdown in the relationship between them and utility contractors Alfred Mcalpine Infrastructure Services (AMIS), who were subsequently taken over by Carillion Utility Services (CUS).

Inquiry counsel Jonathan Lake QC asked Mr Barclay about claims in his written submission that AMIS “took advantage” of the TIE team.

In the statement, he said: “I do not know what happened before I arrived, but certainly there was a breakdown of relationships between AMIS and the MUDFA Project Team.

“When I looked at the people that were on the TIE side, they were not contractually experienced and there were people lacking project management experience. When I looked at the AMIS/CUS side,

0 There was an inexperienced team in charge of trams contract administration, the inquiry was told these were contractors, commercially and contractually focused, and I felt they actually drove that kind of behaviour. They saw an easy client and they took advantage of the situation.”

Asked to elaborate, Mr Barclay told the inquiry: “The contractor was in my opinion taking advantage of the fact there was an inexperienced team in terms of contract administration and they were manipulating the works to suit themselves. They would give the impression they were wanting to start, they were ready to start, and they were then stating that they were in delay.”

Mr Lake asked: “Why would they be in delay?”

“Because they were stating they wanted to start, but we couldn’t start because the design wasn’t ready,” Mr Barclay replied. Mr Barclay, who was employed by TIE until April 2010, was giving evidence as the inquiry, chaired by Lord Hardie, began its tenth week of public hearings.