The body set up to oversee infrastructure spending by public bodies claims it has made savings of £131m in the past year.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) brought an annual assessment out last week, claiming that the costs cut on the school-building budget would be enough to build another 12 schools.

The SFT, set up by the Scottish Government, aims to find ways of reducing excess money paid out to private companies working on public sector projects.

Its economic calculations were validated by experts at Grant Thornton and the London School of Economics.

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It has met its savings targets of between £100m and £150m for the third year in a row.

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil said every £100m saved and re-invested supported 1400 jobs in Scotland's economy.

He said: "The Scottish Government is doing all it can to maximise investment into infrastructure projects across Scotland. The savings SFT achieved last year, in collaboration with a wide range of public sector bodies, allow us to deliver more - more houses and schools, more health and community projects. But while we are doing what we can, there is no question that swingeing cuts imposed on us by Westminster are impeding our efforts to support infrastructure investment and jobs. That is why the SFT's work and the savings they are delivering across the public sector is so important. Going forward, I know the SFT will continue to push forward with plans to develop new, alternative and innovative financing models for infrastructure across Scotland."

(NE)