What its stated objectives were in relation to the A701 Transport Challenge Fund bid from Midlothian Council; what requirements were placed…

In February 1997 Mr Michael Forsyth, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, advised Midlothian Council that their application for Transport Challenging Funding involving a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) had been successful and that £2.5 million had been awarded towards the council's proposals. These were intended to construct a stretch of dual carriageway from New Milton to Straiton and included a package of measures which would allow the use of the existing A701 as a dedicated route for pedestrians, equestrians, cyclists and local traffic. The then Government's objective was to help support proportionally large capital projects which would not otherwise have been affordable in terms of local authorities' likely level of roads and transport resources. The council was required to submit to The Scottish Office by 29 August 1997 an Action Plan detailing its intentions and timetable for the project and subsequently to submit, periodically, short factual monitoring reports about the project. The Action Plan was received in August 1997 and a number of monitoring reports have been received since then. The council was required to satisfy itself that the proposed PFI project had the potential to deliver value for money and had to secure the agreement of The Scottish Office that it fell within the criteria for a PFI deal. Subsequently, Scottish Ministers agreed to the council's request that the A701 project should be pursued through conventional funding, including the monies advanced from the Transport Challenge Fund.