Joint Working Group with COSLA
In the interests of protecting the public purse and maximising the benefits from public expenditure on major projects, the Scottish Ministers should contemplate establishing a joint working group consisting of officials in Transport Scotland and representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (“COSLA”) to consider how best to take advantage of:
• tolerating the risk of cost overrun that is always a possibility in risk assessments by including all public-sector light rail projects in the portfolio of large projects undertaken by the Scottish Government, including those to be constructed wholly within the geographical boundaries of a single local authority;
• the greater experience within Transport Scotland of managing major projects in the public sector; and
• the necessary skills and expertise within Transport Scotland to deliver the project on time and within budget.
- No published evidence that a specific joint working group with COSLA representatives has been established to leverage Transport Scotland's project management experience for light rail projects has been identified to March 2026.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe Scottish Government stated: 'Effective collaboration sits at the heart of this Government, and the recent Verity House agreement is a testament to our commitment to embrace that collaborative approach.' The Government committed to championing close working with local authority partners. Source: Transport Secretary Statement, 2 November 2023.
Progress Timeline
Initial status based on Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council responses to the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report (September 2023).