Meeting of the Parliament 08 February 2023
I thank Emma Roddick for her question, and I want to give her the reassurance that she seeks in relation to the people of the Highlands. She was at the opening of Inverness airport station last week, so she knows how committed the Government is to continued investment in that part of the country. I very much recognise her interest in the route as a local MSP.
Transport Scotland’s design and build works contract has been successfully implemented for the past 20 years. Emma Roddick asked a question on the challenges with the process, which is all being considered in the round in relation to how we move forward at pace. If we need to change the way in which Transport Scotland approaches those projects, that will of course be looked at, because we need to make sure that we attract as much opportunity for investment as possible and that bidders are not put off by the process.
It is fair to say that, in recent years, there has been a decline in the numbers of tenderers, and we understand from industry contacts that that is largely due to the terms and conditions that are in our contract, including risk transfer. As I mentioned, Transport Scotland is reassessing that approach in the light of current market conditions. That work sits alongside changes that we might have to take in the future. We will look carefully at how we can get the best balance between achieving cost certainty and making our contract attractive to the market by looking at appropriate risk allocation—which is fundamentally important—as well as looking at the role of contracting parties and improving collaboration between Transport Scotland and the contractor.