Anger as Edinburgh tram inquiry costs may reach £3m

Nearly £1 million of taxpayers’ cash has been lavished on the Edinburgh Tram public inquiry before a single witness has been called.

The Sunday Post can reveal the judge-led inquiry, which got underway last June, is racking up average monthly bills of £90,000.

Inquiry chief Lord Hardie is investigating the delays and contract rows which dogged the project and saw its total costs soar to near £1 billion.

The first witnesses are not likely to be called until the autumn with the final report not expected to be delivered until after next May’s Holyrood elections.

Concerns have been raised about the cost of the inquiry and how long it is taking.

Labour’s Infrastructure Spokeswoman, Mary Fee MSP, said: “It is beyond disappointing that this inquiry has taken so long to get up and running.

“Questions need to be asked about how the inquiry has incurred such a considerable cost to the public without a witness being called.

“The people of Edinburgh deserve a through and speedy resolution which minimises further costs to the public purse.”

Inquiry officials refused to say how much they have spent so far or how much they think the total cost of the probe will be.

However, figures released to The Sunday Post by Transport Scotland under Freedom Of Information laws show a total of £898,652 funding had been supplied to the inquiry by March 31.

If the inquiry is not concluded until next year, and the current spending pattern continues, the final cost could top £3 million.

There has been growing concern over the cost of public inquires in Scotland, as well as anger over how long they take to conclude.

The findings of the Penrose Inquiry into the contamination of blood were published in March after six years and £12 million of public money.

When the tram inquiry was announced by former First Minister Alex Salmond last June, he told MSPs it would be “swift and thorough”.

Since then the inquiry has collected two million digital files and 200 boxes of paper documents. The contracts signed with Bilfinger Berger and Siemens alone run to several thousand pages.

Last November the inquiry was given the powers to compel witnesses to give evidence after it was revealed some key figures, thought to be from the tram operator side, refused to co-operate.

Edinburgh’s tram line was originally expected to be built for £300 million, but ended up costing £776 million.

However interest payments of £228 million on a £231 million emergency loan deal to cover the budget overrun will push the final figure nearer to £1 billion.

A spokesman for the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry, said: “The Inquiry is making good progress in line with its published order of events and is gathering material, retrieving and reviewing documents.

“Funding is coming from the Scottish Government.

“All efforts will be made to ensure the Inquiry delivers best value for the public purse.”