A UK government underspend of £6.7bn from last year should be used for Scottish infrastructure projects, a senior Scottish figure has said.

The Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary, Alex Neil, said the unspent cash should be diverted to 36 shovel-ready projects north of the border, including a revamp of Ullapool Pier and work on Inverness campus.

He said the Scottish Government gave details of the projects to the Prime Minister months ago, and having to hold back on the projects was "completely unacceptable".


New statistics published by HM Treasury show that UK Government departmental spending was £6.7 billion lower than planned in the year to March.

Mr Neil said that using some of the money to give the green light to infrastructure projects in Scotland would create about 1,400 jobs and boost economic growth.

He said: "Despite repeated requests, we have yet to receive any funding. The Prime Minister told the First Minister that he accepts the principle of bringing forward capital investment but that there are no suitable shovel-ready projects in England which could receive funding to begin in 2012 or 2013. This is not the case in Scotland. We have funded some of the shovel ready project list provided from within our own resources, however there remains more we could do if additional funding is provided. This again highlights the limitations of the current constitutional arrangements, in particular our inability to borrow. Work is delayed while we await the green light from Westminster, which is completely unacceptable and is holding us back."

(NE)