Finance secretary announces 拢200m boost for 鈥渟hovel-ready鈥� schemes

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The Scottish finance secretary is promising a 鈥渂uilding boom鈥� under a 拢205m plan for construction and other projects intended to support 2,000 jobs north of the border.

John Swinney said the 鈥渟hovel-ready鈥� plans, which are for 2013-2014 and include 拢50m for new affordable housing, will be funded through extra cash given to Scotland from the UK Treasury. However, he claimed an independent Scotland could do far more to stimulate the economy through construction and infrastructure.

Swinney said: 鈥淛ust two weeks after the Chancellor鈥檚 Autumn statement I can now confirm a programme of shovel ready projects we will take forward with immediate effect.

鈥淭he range of projects for this year and next will see jobs created across Scotland, provide an immediate boost to Scotland鈥檚 construction sector giving a firmer basis to the so far fragile recovery and strengthen the foundations for our economy over the long term.鈥�

The Scottish government said the money includes:

  • 拢50 million for housing,
  • 拢22 million each for transport and regeneration projects,
  • 拢19 million for further and higher education,
  • 拢11 million for economic development projects,
  • 拢10 million for health maintenance,
  • 拢10 million for the maintenance of the justice system estate
  • over 拢7 million for forestry, national parks and tourism
  • and almost 拢7 million for culture and heritage projects

But opposition parties questioned when the new projects would get under way.

Labour鈥檚 Ken Macintosh said: 鈥淓veryone likes to play Santa at Christmas and I have no doubt that everyone named today who has been shouting up the cabinet secretary鈥檚 chimney will be pleased to hear his news.

鈥淭here has been some concern at exactly how 鈥榮hovel ready鈥� the Scottish government鈥檚 list of projects is - the cabinet secretary described his list as projects which could begin construction by the end of 2013-14 - that doesn鈥檛 sound all that shovel ready to me.鈥�

Conservative Gavin Brown, said: 鈥淲hat matters most for our construction industry is when the shovels go in the ground - not when the project is announced, or indeed re-announced, in many cases.鈥�

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