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Fresh blow to Scottish Futures Trust |
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Monday, 03 November 2008 |
Exclusive
By Kerry Lorimer
A key programme within the Scottish Futures Trust is at risk of being derailed because of uncertainty over how it will be funded.
Proposals for ‘community hubs’ – primary health and community-based
facilities jointly procured by councils and NHS boards – were announced
as part of the Scottish Government’s plans for infrastructure
investment in May.
Last year forty councils and health boards signalled their interest in
joining one of the five hubs planned for ‘territories’ across Scotland.
But Holyrood understands there has been a rapid cooling of enthusiasm
for the scheme in the light of the Government’s reluctance to clarify
how the capital costs will be met.
Hubs were conceived by the former Labour/Lib Dem administration as a
means of drawing private capital into local infrastructure projects by
guaranteeing firms a steady flow of deals, each of which would have
been too small on its own to attract commercial interest.
The SNP Government has adopted the hub concept as part of the SFT, but
officials have been forced to position it as a ‘delivery vehicle’ for
local projects instead of a mechanism for bringing in private finance,
leaving local partners to come up with ways of raising the necessary
capital.
Ministers are expected to announce the first two pathfinders – South
East Scotland and Northern Scotland – next month. But councils and
health boards have been slow to sign off the letters of intent that
will allow the pathfinders to get under way, citing lack of clarity
over funding arrangements.
“There has not been a good response,” said a source within one of the
potential hubs. The overwhelming majority of councils and health boards
had been keen to get involved, he said. “But that was based on their
understanding of the original model of the hub. People are wanting to
know how it fits into SFT, that is the million dollar question.”
For full story, see page 18
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