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Cabinet secretary confirms £8bn for Scottish infrastructure over two years

New cabinet secretary for infrastructure, investment and cities for the Scottish government Keith Brown has confirmed a commitment to invest £8bn in Scottish infrastructure over the next two years.

Brown said the secured funding  will support 40,000 full time jobs in Scotland, along with on the job training and local employment opportunities.

He was speaking at ACE Scotland’’s parliamentary reception in Edinburgh.

Brown outlined the £3.5bn of non profit distribution revenue finance projects – the country’s alternative to PFI where contractors invest solely in the debt of a project, not putting in any equity and not receiving any returns on their capital investment.

He explained how the NPD programme is is allowing construction of the £550M Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to happen much sooner than would otherwise have been possible previously, stating that this is critical to the economy in bringing forward £6bn of additional local economic benefit that will result when the road is in use.

Other key NPD projects, he said, were the M8/M73/M74 improvements, City of Glasgow College and Inverness and Ayr college, along with the successful completion of Glasgow Southern General hospital, an £850M scheme.

Brown’s message included recognition of Scotland’s skilled engineering and consultancy professionals and the success that has been achieved in delivering projects such as the Forth Replacement Crossing, currently on time and under budget, M80 - on time and on budget and the continuing success of the Edinburgh to Glasgow rail improvement programme.

Transport Scotland’s head of planning and design, major transport infrastructure projects David Anderson focused on how transport matters, outlining further the investment programme and the responsibility to effectively communicate projects and budgets.