A public contract released by the Scottish Government has revealed nearly £25,000 is being spent on delivering public relations for the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry.
Crisis communications specialists 3x1 have been used to deliver "support in the communications to media, stakeholders and public," which Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has said is a "significant amount of money."
Edinburgh Labour councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, added his dissatisfaction with the inquiry and said the government are using "spin doctors" to present the findings.
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The contract is listed as running for six months from December 1, 2022 until May 31, 2023, meaning each month's work is worth just over £4,000.
In August, it was reported that the Tram Inquiry, a report aimed at presenting why the installation of the tram network around Edinburgh took five years longer than planned and cost £776million, would end up costing the same amount as the investigation into the Iraq war.
Miles Briggs added that the inquiry has cost hundreds of millions of tax payers money - although he is pleased that the network is nearing completion and will be a vital asset to residents in Edinburgh.
He said: "£25,000 is a significant sum to pay towards public relations for a tram which has been over budget and severely delayed.
"The Edinburgh tram has cost hundreds of millions of tax payers hard earned money which could have gone towards essential services.
"I am pleased that the tram network is nearing completion and people will be able use the tram in the North side of Edinburgh. We must see an end to the Tram Inquiry, which is costing excessive amounts of money to be delivered.
"Given the negative publicity around the time and costs of the Tram Inquiry is taking to report it will further anger Scottish Taxpayers to discover more of their money has been used to try to spin the situation to the press."
Councillor Scott Arthur tweeted a link to the public contract detailing the £24,800 rolling contract dedicated to PR for the inquiry, accusing the Scottish government of "adding insult to injury."
He said: "The Scot Gov are adding insult to injury by advertising for a PR Consultant to help with their long overdue Edinburgh Tram Inquiry. The public deserve to see this inquiry report ASAP, & don’t want spin doctors involved in the presentation of the findings."
A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry said: "Lord Hardie’s remit is to conduct a robust inquiry. The Inquiries Act 2005 obliges the Chair to consider cost at all times since it is funded from the public purse. Throughout the process all efforts have been made to ensure the Inquiry delivers best value."
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