Construction Products Association report, Achievable Targets 2005 Scotland, highlights concern for Scotland’s hospitals, schools, housing, transport and water infrastructure.

The Construction Products Association has slammed the Scottish Executive for failing to deliver on its commitments in public services and infrastructure.

The report, Achievable Targets 2005 Scotland, highlights six areas of concern in the Scottish Executive’s progress in improving Scotland’s hospitals, schools, housing, transport and water infrastructure.

In particular, the CPA expresses concern that no output targets have been set to monitor the £750m investment in building modern hospitals and primary care facilities.

Similarly, no output targets to monitor the £36 million investment to modernise GP and dental facilities by the end of 2006 have been set.

The six areas are:

  • The Executive is on track to deliver its target of providing 21,000 new and improved homes for social rent and low-cost home ownership by 2008, but the latest survey results show 20,000 households living in houses below tolerable standard.
  • Slow progress in improving the condition of existing stock. Targets should be set to bring all schools up to a building condition rating of A or B. The Executive should also better refine their Estate Statistics and publish annually national figures of school building condition using LA estate management plans.
  • No output targets have been set to monitor the £750 million investment in building modern hospitals and primary care facilities by the end of 2006. Similarly, no output targets to monitor the £36 million investment to modernise GP and dental facilities by the end of 2006 have been set.
  • Progress has been made in improving railway stations, with 26 extended platforms across the busiest commuter routes. However, the cost of the Stirling-Alloa - Kincardine rail link has soared from £37 million to £60 million, and the Executive says trains will not run until the end of 2006.
  • In water infrastructure, completion of the Quality and Standards II investment programme by April 2006 is unlikely. Halfway through, over half of the £1.8 billion programme had not progressed beyond the project feasibility stage and less than 10% of projects had been completed.
  • The existing road network is badly congested and in poor condition. A baseline shows trunk road congestion cost the Scottish economy over £70 million in 2002/3. This calls into question the wisdom of directing 70% of funding for transport improvements away from roads and into public transport.

The CPA said: “Over the last 10 years, construction investment in Scotland as a percentage of GDP has been more than the UK average but less than most other European countries - just 9.2% compared with the European average of 12%. In each of the last three Spending Reviews, the Scottish Executive has shown its commitment to address years of underinvestment. The Executive should back-up this commitment by creating systems to monitor output and publish the details of progress.”