The First Minister has demanded her critics provide evidence to support allegations ministers knew about delays to the new Forth road bridge but kept them quiet ahead of the Scottish election
Nicola Sturgeon said it is “absolutely the case” that ministers first learned the Queensferry Crossing would be delayed on May 26.
Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole Hamilton insisted on Wednesday ministers were taking MSPs “for fools” by insisting they only learned of the delay “conveniently, days after the Scottish election”.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Mr Cole Hamilton repeated his allegation, insisting the delay had been “an open secret” in his Edinburgh Western constituency and that he learned in January that the road decks construction was running behind target.
Ms Sturgeon demanded Mr Cole Hamilton provide evidence to support his claims.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Many people will find it hard to understand why 25 days lost to adverse weather can lead to a five-month delay in opening the crossing.
“Indeed, it has been an open secret in my constituency that a delay was inevitable.
“I learned in January that the facility in Rosyth making concrete road decks did not have the capacity to meet target.
“Does the First Minister really believe parliament and my constituents to believe the first ministers knew of this delay was just after the election, and that they knew nothing about the problem with the road decks?”
Ms Sturgeon said: “Well, if the member has got any evidence to the contrary then he should, in all fairness, bring it forward.
“Because what the Cabinet Secretary for Economy said yesterday is absolutely what is the case.
“Ministers were informed on May 26 that the FCBC (Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors) were looking at weather impacts.
“On June 1 the programme was ratified by the FCBC board.
“Since then, ministers have been making sure that Transport Scotland were subjecting that revised programme to rigorous scrutiny.
“I personally met with contractors on Tuesday of this week to satisfy myself that everything possible was being done to accelerate progress and it was at that meeting that we took the decision, rightly, that parliament should be informed at the earliest possible opportunity.
“So, that is the facts of the matter and I hope that all members across this chamber will accept that.”
Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone said: “Given the wildly optimistic timescales that have now proven to be wildly optimistic, and the previous attempts to predict short timescales for the old bridge, wouldn’t it be wise for the First Minister today to generate a little bit more wriggle-room?”
Ms Sturgeon said: “We are putting forward the estimated completion date based on the rigorous assessment and modelling that the contractors we pay to build this bridge have given us.
“I know Kezia Dugdale was praising me earlier on for being so powerful in the global context, but I am not a bridge engineer.
“I don’t have expertise in building bridges, other than the ones I build across this chamber all the time, so I prefer to take my advice on the timescales and the details on the construction of this new bridge from the experts that we are paying to build it.”
