The Scottish Government has published its Infrastructure and Investment Plan, which details plans for up to £60 billion of capital spending up until 2030.

The plan includes 54 major infrastructure projects and 33 programmes and identifies investment in Scotland's water and sewerage infrastructure as one of a number of priority areas for capital spend. However, the Plan does not go into any detail on water and sewerage projects in the pipeline and simply says that upcoming investments have yet to be confirmed.

The Scottish Government is currently leading a project to identify the investment needs for the period 2015-25 (two regulatory periods). The IIP said this would identify, in advance of the next regulatory period, the investment requirements for the period 2015-20 in detail and those for the following five years in outline. The future investment programme will concentrate on:

• Enabling economic growth by ensuring that there is sufficient capacity to accommodate new developments;
• Meeting the requirements of legislation on drinking water quality and the environment;
• Improving standards of services; and
• Ensuring Scottish Water is able to carry forward a programme of measures to adapt to, and minimise, climate change.

The Scottish Government will be engaging with stakeholders on investment priorities for 2015-25 in early 2012. Details of the arrangements will be sent to stakeholders and made available on the Government's website in Autumn 2011.

Launching the IIP, Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment said:

"Investing in our infrastructure is absolutely vital to grow our economy. Today's Infrastructure Investment Plan demonstrates exactly how, when and what we will invest in to deliver that goal, bringing substantial benefits for all of Scotland.

"It outlines more than 50 key infrastructure projects across a range of sectors. These are projects that will make a real difference economically - driving growth, supporting jobs and delivering a lasting legacy of generations to come.

"We have been crystal clear that we view capital investment as the vital foundation to lead us out of tough economic times. That is why, against the back drop of Westminster cuts in our capital budget, the Scottish Government has switched spending from revenue to capital and put in place a £2.5 billion Non-Profit Distributing pipeline. As a consequence of Scottish Government spending decisions, total capital spending in Scotland will rise by 25 per cent by 2014-15.

"Our clear commitment to dual the routes between all of our major cities by 2030 and complete the dualling of the A9 by 2025 goes further than any previous administration in Scotland. These improved connections will provide a huge boost for Scotland's economic future and will be particularly welcomed by the construction and civil engineering sectors.

Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, commented:

"The Scottish Government has set out a clear Central Purpose to increase Scotland's sustainable economic growth rate and this can only be achieved through attaching a high priority to infrastructure investment. This review of the Infrastructure Investment Plan was an essential response to the changing economic climate and we welcome the Scottish Government's commitment to a long term plan to improve Scotland's transportation links and built environment."

In a statement, the Scottish Government said it welcomed comments on the investment pipeline in the IIP and would review it in the light of those views, changing circumstances (e.g. borrowing powers) and at each spending review.