Salmond backs schools funding after row

First Minister Alex Salmond has insisted much needed new schoolswill be built in the North-east with a new funding system.

The issue was the latest in a series of increasingly acrimoniousexchanges between Mr Salmond, the MSP for Gordon, and his AberdeenSouth neighbour, Nicol Stephen, pictured, the leader of the LibDems.

During First Minister's questions Mr Stephen demanded to knowwhether the SNP's proposed Scottish Futures Trust could build newschools in places like Ellon and Laurencekirk.

Doubts have been raised about the future's trust because itrelies on the Scottish Government being allowed to sell bonds, whichit currently cannot do.

In the chamber Mr Stephen brandished a consultation document onthe proposal which he said contained nine excuses about why it wouldnot work.

"People don't want excuses, First Minister. Councils are waitingto get on with building new schools," he said.

"Projects have ground to a halt, waiting in St Andrews, inLaurencekirk, in Angus, waiting at Ellon Academy, waiting acrossEast Lothian."

But Mr Salmond hit back, saying: "I didn't realise that NicolStephen's knowledge of the North-east extended to Angus let aloneAberdeen."

He said the futures trust "would point the way" for fundingbuilding projects and was "light years in advance" of the publicprivate partnership used by the Lib Dems and Labour in the lastScottish Executive.