Swinney ‘confident’ £1bn Barlinnie replacement will not see large cost increases

First Minister John Swinney has said he is “confident” the replacement for Scotland’s largest prison will not see large cost overruns.

The Government announced this week HMP Glasgow – which will replace the Victorian-era Barlinnie – will cost just shy of £1 billion, with Mr Swinney attributing the spike in costs from £400 million a few years ago to spiralling inflation.

The facility will also hold more prisoners than its predecessor, which should help to ease an already overcrowded system.

The Scottish Government has struggled with capital projects in the past, with cost overruns and delays impacting the building of the Aberdeen bypass, the ferries at Ferguson Marine, as well as ongoing issues with the dualling of the A9.

The First Minister pointed to the success of the Queensferry Crossing, which was completed under-budget.

Speaking to the PA news agency on Friday, he said: “What’s important is that capital projects are kept under very tight control and that’s what we aim to deliver.

“If you look at the Queensferry Crossing, for example, largest capital project ever undertaken in Scotland, (it) came in within budget because it was under tight control.

“So that’s what we’ve got to make sure is the case in relation to HMP (Glasgow).”

Asked if he is confident the budget will not dramatically increase, the First Minister added: “I am confident about that, because these will all be kept under very strict control.

“The costs have been benchmarked against the situation in prison construction in England and Wales and the price per place – if we can put it that way – of HMP (Glasgow) is essentially in the middle of the estimates that have come from England and Wales.”

The First Minister also spoke of the impact of inflation, which saw costs spiral before the contract was even announced.

“The cost level that we’re looking at just now is a product of the rampant construction inflation that we have seen over recent years, where we’re seeing phenomenal increases in raw materials as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

“But then also the fact they we’re building a larger prison than originally proposed, with over 1,300 places within that prison.

“So there’s a lot of material difference in the proposal that’s coming forward, but that proposal has got to be kept under tight financial control.”