The creation of a quango to oversee major new infrastructure projects in Scotland has met with a barrage of criticism from the public sector. The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), headed by leading financier Sir Angus Grossart, will develop expertise and investment models to build public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, using private finance. Finance secretary John Swinney said: ‘SFT will bring together a wide range of partners, expertise and resources to provide the high-quality schools, hospitals and transport infrastructure that Scotland needs, in a far more cost-effective way than PFI has done in the past.' But public sector union Unison described the new body as a ‘hugely expensive PPP quango headed up by a merchant banker'. Unison's Scottish organiser Dave Watson said: ‘It is difficult to see how this body will be anything other than a vocal proponent of more PPP in Scotland, wasting yet more billions of taxpayers' money.' The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) said it still appeared to be more a political aspiration than a workable model. COSLA vice president Cllr Rob Murray said: ‘This announcement leaves many questions unanswered because it is light on evidence and detail.'