Commenting on Wednesday's announcement that plans for a £300m investment from the Scottish Government to deliver 35 new schools are going ahead, Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack welcomed the news.

But he also warned it had been a long time coming and funding still needed to be accelerated.

He said: “Today’s announcement on the first tranche of the £1.25bn Scotland's Schools for the Future programme is very good news for the construction industry. It’s been a long time coming and there has been a lot of hope and expectation riding on the Scottish Futures Trust to generate innovative new solutions.

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“The Scottish construction industry continues to struggle with output falling a further 1.6% in the third quarter of 2009, coupled with 42 construction companies entering compulsory insolvencies in the first three months of this year - almost 50% more than the same period as last year. And In this difficult economic climate, where the public finances are being squeezed, our members rely more than ever on a consistent flow of public sector work to sustain their order books.

“I hope that the procurement process for these new schools can now move ahead swiftly and I would urge the Scottish Government to consider all possibilities to accelerate the availability of capital expenditure to improve upon the planned build programme. It is essential that these projects start on site promptly to ensure that the industry’s crucial skills and employment are protected.”

(GK)