Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP has slammed the SNP Government for “lazy and unprofessional practice” after the answer to parliamentary question revealed no Scottish Government minister approved the controversial AWPR contract.

The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has written to Aberdeen Roads Ltd (ARL), today, calling on the contractors for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to give evidence to the committee on 5^th December, over delays to the opening of the road and the Scottish Government’s mishandling of the contract.

North East MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles has demanded to know which minister was responsible for signing off the contract for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, after the Scottish Government announced yesterday that a 31.5km of completed road between Cairbstone and Stonehaven cannot be opened because of an agreement with the contractor.

Responding to the Scottish Government's statement on delays to the opening of sections of the AWPR, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP said:

"The Scottish Government has made a mess of this contract and now miles of completed bypass are going to be sitting empty.

North East MSP and digital connectivity spokesperson for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Mike Rumbles, has called on the Scottish Government to keep to promises made by the SNP in 2011 and 2016 and deliver superfast broadband to every home in Scotland before the next Scottish Parliament election in May 2021.

North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles highlighted statistics released today revealing the North East police force division reporting the fifth highest average in the country, between 2013-17, of motorists involved in accidents, at 1,085.

Aberdeenshire schools have played a key part in Scotland receiving its largest ever allocation of Erasmus EU funding in 2018. Seven schools are each set to receive a share of €81,000 this year.

North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles has today revealed that at the start of the latest school term, over 100 teaching posts in Aberdeen City have not been filled.

Commenting on plans for the dualling of the A96 east of Huntly, published by Transport Scotland today, North East MSP Mike Rumbles said:  “I’m delighted that the Scottish Government has decided to remove possible routes for the A96 that would damage the natural environment around Bennichie.

National Statistic have estimated that cereal production in Scotland will drop by 9% in 2018, due to bad weather and the ‘beast from the east’ earlier in the year. Spring barley, which accounts for roughly 50% of all crops grown in Scotland, is expected to have fallen by around 10%.