Tram inquiry ‘cover-up’ over chairman’s pay
Secrecy row as ministers refuse to reveal taxpayer-funded salary
SNP ministers have been accused of trying to cover up costs relating to the Edinburgh tram inquiry after refusing to say how much the chairman is being paid.
Transport Scotland ignored multiple requests from the Scottish Daily Mail for details of taxpayerfunded payments made to former judge Lord Andrew Hardie.
He was put in charge of the inquiry by Alex Salmond in 2014. The government body confirmed the bill for staff has soared to £3.3million since the inquiry was launched – and the total cost to the taxpayer has been £7 million.
Previously, the salaries of chairmen of many of the most high-profile public inquiries in the UK have been confirmed publicly. When Lady Smith took charge of the Scottish inquiry on child abuse, it was confirmed she would not receive any additional payments.
But the tram inquiry said financial issues were a matter for the Scottish Government. When the Mail originally asked for the information, it said a freedom of information (FOI) request would be needed.
However, in response to the FOI, it said: ‘We are not able to provide details of amounts paid to Lord Hardie under the Data Protection Act.’
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘If anything can be learned from the trams fiasco, it’s that transparency of finances is vital. It’s therefore puzzling that Lord Hardie’s pay is being kept a secret.
‘This was an unnecessary inquiry which is already costing the taxpayer millions. The least it could do is be upfront about who’s receiving what.’
Since it was set up in 2014, £6.96million of taxpayers’ money has been swallowed by the tram inquiry.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers will be disappointed the Scottish Government has refused to tell Scots how much they’re paying the chair of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry.
‘Other public bodies have no problems complying with requests for information on staffing costs. The Scottish Government should improve transparency as taxpayers need to know where their money is going.’
The tram inquiry was set up by Mr Salmond when he was First Minister in an attempt to find out what went so catastrophically wrong with the project after it was delayed by five years and the cost had soared to £1billion.
When the inquiry announced that it would finally be holding evidence sessions for the first time last month, it said it would sit for only three days a week.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Although ministers have no role in the running of this inquiry, they want it to be efficient and cost effective.’