First Minister (FM) Nicola Sturgeon has revealed plans to accelerate funding on capital infrastructure projects following the result of the EU referendum.

An additional £100 million will be spent in this financial year to speed up delivery of health and other infrastructure projects, as well as boosting business support.

Work is underway to assess which projects will be allocated as priorities. A range of criteria will be looked at, including how quickly work can start, the number of jobs that will be supported or created, the likely impact on the supply chain and geographic spread.

In addition, the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank is to receive an extra £5m to expand its general surgery and ophthalmology services, as well as build new facilities to support two additional MRI machines.

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Further plans include setting up a dedicated service to support businesses affected by the EU referendum alongside a Business Network will work closely with the STUC and the Scotland Office.

FM Sturgeon said: "As I have made clear since the EU referendum, the Scottish Government will pursue all possible options to protect Scotland's relationship with the EU and ensure that our voice is heard.

"Our Infrastructure Investment Plan is already delivering major infrastructure improvements, with projects worth almost £6 billion currently under construction - we will now inject a further £100 million of spending this year to accelerate planned projects.

"We will also provide business with wider support to help them navigate the uncertainty caused by the referendum result. Business organisations have asked for a single point of contact and we will shortly launch a new Business Information Service that will provide up-to-date information and advice, and answer questions from individual businesses, going some way to alleviate business concerns about the future."

Ms Sturgeon also called on the UK Government to provide clarity over the future of EU Structural Funds and to announce its own economic stimulus package.

"However, it is important that the UK government also acts and I am calling today for urgent action on two fronts - firstly, early assurance about EU Structural Funds and, second, a UK wide stimulus package which, through consequential funding, would enable the Scottish Government to do more to accelerate capital spending," she said.

(LM/MH)