Almost 70 projects, amounting to spending of about £7bn, will be under construction in Scotland this year, according to the government.

Schemes include the new Acute District General Hospital in Dumfries and Galloway, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and the A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which have recently commenced construction.

The findings are outlined in the Scottish Government's six-monthly Infrastructure Investment Plan project pipeline published this week, which provides an update on progress of projects set out in the IIP through to 2030.

Overall investment by the Scottish Government in infrastructure projects is expected to exceed £8bn between 2014-15 to 2015-16.

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Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Keith Brown, said: "I am encouraged by the amount of progress being achieved to deliver some of our major projects in Scotland. The reports published today show the wide range of projects that have been delivered over the past twelve months and are ready for use, the significant projects that we can expect to see completed this year, and the scale of our current overall investment activity across Scotland.

"The steps we are taking demonstrate not just what is being achieved now, but also what more could be done if the UK government were willing to change its course on public spending in order to provide further support for infrastructure, skills and education to boost the economy.

"We have repeatedly called on Westminster to abandon austerity policies which are economically unsustainable and to adopt an economic strategy that focuses on growth.

"I urge them therefore in the forthcoming Budget to provide an injection of capital funding and infrastructure activity that will boost the Scottish construction sector and boost local economies all over Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

"This government is determined to invest in Scotland's infrastructure both to stimulate growth and to lay the foundations for long term success. That is good news for our economy and good news for the people of Scotland."

(IT/JP)