The BBC have this week reported that the cost of the Public Inquiry into the Edinburgh Trams project has now gone beyond £3.7m. The Inquiry was called by the SNP led government to see what went wrong with the project for the final line to cost so much more and to be completed a lot later than planned but since being called for in 2014 the Inquiry has also, ironically, been taking a long time with spiralling costs.
As things stand at the moment it is not known when the Inquiry – led by Lord Hardie – will be reporting its findings. A spokesman for the Inquiry told the BBC: “The Scottish ministers have been clear from the start that the inquiry should be timely and cost effective. Lord Hardie’s priority is to conduct a thorough investigation into the Edinburgh tram project and produce a report and recommendations that ensure lessons are learned for future major infrastructure projects.”
Of the costs incurred so far almost half have been on staffing with legal fees accounting for £716,000.
The Inquiry is still at fact finding stage with statements now being taken from witnesses before oral hearings begin.
How far would that £3.7 million have gone towards the cost of extending the tramway to Leith? Instead it’s been wasted on an enquiry to ‘establish’ what they already know.
But, Ken, what about the impoverished Scottish lawyers? Without this sort of nonsense, they’d be on the breadline, poor things!