The First Minister yesterday rebuffed the suggestions that the new Forth crossing would struggle for funding following the refusal of the Treasury to allow the £2bn cost to be spread over 20 years.

Labour attacked the Holyrood government, claiming it was wrong for ministers to announce the project without having the funding in place.

Iain Gray, the Labour leader, said Alex Salmond's behaviour indicated that he wanted a row with the Treasury, but the First Minister retorted: "We have the money in the capital budgets and we are building the bridge. The question is, if you are having the largest capital project in Scottish history, should you pay for it over three years or over a 20-year period? Would Iain Gray buy his house over a three-year period, or over a longer period? It makes sense for the biggest capital investment in Scottish history to be profiled over a substantial period of time."

Mr Gray said the Scottish Government had shown an inability to build anything, even using traditional public procurement.

"Only yesterday, Low Moss prison was delayed for two years, that's a £100m project, far smaller and far more straightforward," he said.

Mr Salmond claimed: "With Labour it would be no bridge or a toll bridge."

Mr Gray retorted that the SNP inherited a budget that contained the money for the M74 motorway, as well as the money for the Edinburgh Airport rail link. He insisted: "The First Minister needs a fight with Westminster to hide behind."

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