The chair of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry, the Rt Hon the Lord Hardie, has announced that the Inquiry has begun the process of interviewing some members of the public affected by the trams project, in order to produce detailed statements about issues within the scope of the Inquiry’s investigation.
Those contacted include some of the individuals and organisations who responded to the Inquiry’s formal call for evidence launched in May last year, as well as people identified during the Inquiry’s document review stage as being relevant to its work. Any other members of the public who believe they have significant evidence are also invited to contact the Inquiry at this stage.
Lord Hardie said: “If the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry is to provide a truly comprehensive account of the reasons behind, and the consequences of, the failure of the original project to be delivered on time and to budget and scope, then the evidence of those members of the public directly affected will be an essential part of my deliberations. This includes all of the evidence already submitted by the public, supplemented by the detailed statements that we are now in the process of obtaining.
“The Inquiry team has already begun to make contact with certain members of the public to seek their assistance. I have been heartened by the response received so far. The contributions of all who participate will be invaluable in ensuring that this Inquiry makes robust recommendations for future infrastructure projects of this scale and significance.”
Members of the public wishing to provide evidence to the Inquiry should do so by either emailing info@edinburghtraminquiry.org or by writing to the Secretary of the Inquiry, 1st Floor, Waverley Gate, 2-4 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EG. You should be aware that your submission will be considered as evidence and the Inquiry team may wish to explore your evidence in more detail. They may wish to take a statement from you, and you may be invited to give evidence at an oral hearing. However, not everyone who submits written evidence at this stage will be invited to provide more information, and participation at any oral hearings would be by invitation only and would be optional.
A notice from the Chair providing further information can be found at www.edinburghtraminquiry.org