Infrastructure Investment
Infrastructure investment in support of better and modern public services and growth in the Scottish economy is a top priority for the Scottish Government. The Financial Partnerships Unit within the Scottish Government plays a pivotal role in this activity.
The second Infrastructure Investment Plan which sets out intentions for enhancing the fabric of Scotland was published on 27 March 2008. Following this publication, an Infrastructure Investment Conference was hosted by the Scottish Government on the 20 & 21 May 2008 in Edinburgh.
The Financial Partnerships Unit (FPU):
- provides policy support to the Scottish Government (Ministers and managers) on partnership options and procurement methodology for infrastructure delivery and investment.
- works with all public sectors and all sections of the private sector involved in infrastructure investment, and liaises with counterparts elsewhere in the UK and overseas.
- FPU considers developments based on the PPP (Public Private Partnerships) procurement process, including standardisation and research and development into new areas as Non Profit Distributing (NPD) delivery vehicles and improved value for money.
- provides practical guidance and support at project level, evaluating financial partnership proposals and business cases for Scottish Government funding support or policy approval.
- has a focus on outreach, training and skill development.
- is leading the Steering Group which has been set up to develop the Scottish Futures Trust.
PPP simply means a type of delivery where public and private sectors work together to deliver public infrastructure. There are now many forms of PPP around the world which cover a wide variety of working arrangements. In Scotland our focus on PPP is on lower financing costs, improved risk allocation, and development of the NPD model.
A Consultation on the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) was launched by Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney on 20 December 2007. The aim of the consultation which ended on 14 March 2008 was to set out the Scottish Government's thinking on how the SFT can deliver a better deal for taxpayers than the costly PFI. The views of those who responded to the Consultation will help inform the ongoing work towards establishment of the SFT. Theses responses along with the closed Consultation can be accessed via the following links.
SFT Consultation Responses: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/04/18161301/0
SFT Consultation Paper (Closed): http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/12/19093017/0
A strategic business case titled 'Taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust' which supports the creation of a Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) initiative, was published on 20 May 2008. This publication can be found via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent