Question reference: S6W-04750
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 7 December 2021
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Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 December 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it has spent to date on legal costs associated with the nationalisation of ScotRail, broken down by any work (a) undertaken by Scottish Government solicitors and (b) outsourced to external solicitors, and what the total anticipated legal costs are.
Answer
Since the announcement on 17 March 2021 that ScotRail services will be provided through the Scottish Government’s Operator of Last Resort arrangements on expiry of the current franchise agreement, no costs have been charged for legal work in connection with those arrangements undertaken by solicitors of the Scottish Government Legal Directorate.
In terms of external solicitor costs, works to the value of £157,763 have been charged for to date. At this rate, Transport Scotland would estimate legal expenditure to be under £500,000 by the commencement of ScotRail Trains Ltd services on 1 April. It should be noted that this is a substantially lower amount than might have been expected in support of a rail franchise procurement competition.