The Scottish Government

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3 HOW TO USE THE PLAN

Objectives of the Plan

This Plan presents the Infrastructure Projects (with a capital value greater than £5 million) which the Scottish Government and its partners are proposing to undertake, generally over a period of up to 10 years. In some sectors full 10 year plans are not available, as investment strategies are still evolving - in others plans beyond 10 years are included. ² It explains the purpose behind investment plans and provides detail, where available, on the scale and timing of the investment proposals. It captures both the fully approved projects as well as providing initial details of projects which we intend to undertake in future years.

The Plan presents the investment by Scottish Government portfolio and (for the first time) by local government, as follows:

It provides details of those major projects which it is intended will be funded directly through public investment and those which will be funded partly or wholly by private capital.

It provides details of those major projects which it is intended will be funded directly through public investment and those which will be funded partly or wholly by private capital. The level of partnership working is signified by the many projects which are mentioned in both public and private sector investment plans.

The Plan provides a single guide and reference to infrastructure investment in all sectors in Scotland over coming years, with links to more detailed sources as appropriate. It is intended to stimulate interest and discussion about how the public and private sectors can work together to provide investment consistent with the economic and social objectives of the Scottish Government.

Environmental Assessment

In terms of the Plan's environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, Section 4(3)(b) of the Act states that 'Financial or budgetary plans and programmes' are outwith the scope of the Act. As a budgetary plan, the 2005 Act does not therefore apply to the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

However, although the Infrastructure Investment Plan falls outwith the scope of the 2005 Act, Scottish Ministers are committed to Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA) as a key component of sustainable development, which can establish important new methods for protecting the environment and extend opportunities for public participation in Government policy decision making.

The fact that the Infrastructure Investment Plan falls outwith the scope of the 2005 Act does not denote that the individual plans and programmes identified within it will also be exempt from the requirements of the Act and will therefore have to be considered on their own merits.

Scottish Government Capital Budgets

On 14 November 2007, the Scottish Government's spending plans for the next 3 years were announced. ³ With some amendments voted in the Scottish Parliament, the Budget was confirmed in the Budget Act 2008.

Table 3.1 summarises the Scottish Government's direct publicly funded infrastructure investment by portfolio. These spending plans are augmented by additional investment by local government, Scottish Water, private sector investment and other sources of funding such as receipts.

Table 3.1: Capital Allocations by Portfolio

Table 3.1 shows growth in the direct Scottish Government allocation for capital investment over the next three years, rising to 11% of the Scottish Budget by 2010-11. This has been achieved within a tight Spending Review 2007 allocation from the UK Government. The investment levels shown in the following chapter indicate the estimated outturn including private sector investment.

The funding which the Scottish Government will provide to local government over the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 totals £34.7 billion. Within this total there is significant growth in the capital resources being made available to local authorities. In 2008-09, local government capital increases by 13% and that increase is then held up to 2010-11. In total, some £3 billion is being provided over the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 to secure investment in local government infrastructure.

The Concordat agreement gives Scotland's 32 councils an increasing share of the Scottish Budget and greater control than ever before over local spending decisions. In return for this local authorities will work to deliver shared commitments. Local authorities provide for a wide range of infrastructure renewal and replacement.

The following chapters provide a breakdown of the actual investment from a wide range of funding sources in Scottish infrastructure projects in both central and local government.

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