SNP still has serious questions to answer about Big Freeze chaos

There are still serious questions for the SNP Government to answer about its handling of events as Scotland's transport infrastructure descended into chaos this week.

Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

"This morning on BBC Radio Scotland the First Minister admitted that the Scottish Government's weather forecasting was provided by the Met Office – the same source used by the BBC. On Sunday evening, at 6:30pm, the BBC showed a forecast for Monday morning that showed a sea of snow sweeping the central belt of Scotland.

- So, when the Transport Minister told Newsnight on Monday night that we had 'an unforecast fall of snow' how did he not know what everyone else knew? He's the Transport Minister.

- When Alex Salmond said much the same on Monday evening saying 'this was a forecast of light snow at 5 o'clock' – how did he not know what everyone else knew? He's the First Minister of Scotland.

- Was anyone in the Scottish Government actually watching the television?

- When the Met Office supplied the weather information, which it did, why was it ignored?

- The SNP has been quoting from Met Office forecasts at 4pm on Sunday and 8am on Monday. Were there no updates in between?

- If not – how was it that the BBC gave more accurate forecasts and warnings than the Scottish Government?

"These and many other questions have still not been answered."

Jackson Carlaw MSP, Shadow Minister for Transport, said:

"The Transport Minister is in a complete flap. He keeps saying lessons have been learned from the last Big Freeze but, apart from ordering more salt, he won't tell us what these lessons are. Unless we are given specifics, people will have no confidence that lessons have been learned for this time, or indeed the next time."

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