AN organisation established by the Scottish Government was a key player in the procurement and delivery of a contract prior to the sale for £1 of Ravenscraig Hospital and its toxic grounds.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) helped NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde secure the services of property specialists Montagu Evans, who were paid more than £30,000 of public money directly from health board funds.

But despite the large bill — hugely outstripping the £1 land transfer itself — health chiefs had 'no direct correspondence' with the SFT during the entire tendering process, the Telegraph can reveal.

The health board, whilst marketing only the hospital building through Montagu Evans, was manoeuvring to offload the category B listed edifice — and its sprawling contaminated grounds — to a private company.

As a result, the formerly publicly-owned 83-acre Ravenscraig estate — polluted with confirmed 'multiple exceedances' of harmful chemicals — was passed to Link Group Ltd.

We told previously how Link acquired it in a so-called 'back-to-back' transaction involving the health board and the Scottish Government's More Homes division.

Just months earlier the district valuer estimated the worth of the land at £850,000.

Montagu Evans was paid £21,240 as a 'property and planning advisor' to NHS GGC and a further £9,000 for marketing the historic building of regional importance and gaining approval for its demolition — following the involvement of the SFT.

An official 'invitation to tender' document for the contract awarded to Montagu Evans states: "Scottish Futures Trust are assisting NHS GGC with the procurement and delivery of this brief."

However, a freedom of information request for all correspondence between the health board and SFT in relation to the disposal of the hospital has confirmed that none exists.

The health board stated: "Staff were seconded from the Scottish Futures Trust to work for NHS GGC with respect to the local delivery programme.

"As a consequence, there was no direct correspondence between the board and SFT in terms of the specifics of this particular transaction."

The £30,240 which was used to pay Montagu Evans came directly from health board funds.

Asked for details of any funding issued to the health board for the marketing and disposal of Ravenscraig, the board replied that it 'was not issued any external pre-marketing funding for this transaction'.

We revealed in 2018 how the hospital building was still being marketed by Montagu Evans on behalf of the health board months after the board had started talking to Link Group Ltd.

In a previous statement, NHS GGC said: "The figure of £850,000 was the asset value of the site in 2016 and was prepared for accounts purposes and financial reporting.

"This is not the same as the market value.

"The market value is the price achievable on the open market, taking into consideration a whole range of different factors.

"The market value of the Ravenscraig site was deemed to be £1."

The Scottish Futures Trust was set up more than a decade ago to provide 'infrastructure expertise' to the public sector.

The Telegraph asked the SFT to explain its precise role in the tender contract awarded to Montagu Evans and whether it was aware that the health board was in discussion with Link whilst the hospital building was still being publicly marketed.

An spokesman for the organisation said: "The Scottish Futures Trust understands that the transfer of the site followed a standard 'trawl' procedure set out in Scottish Government guidance whereby public sector organisations, in this case Scottish Government's own More Homes Division, can express an interest in a site declared surplus by another public body.

"The Transfer to the Link Group, which is a charity and registered social landlord nominated by Scottish Government to undertake the development of the site, occurred at a value established by the District Valuer."

A nine-month Police Scotland Economic Crime Unit investigation into land issues at the Ravenscraig site remains live, it was confirmed today.

The Scottish Government says the land transfer was conducted 'in accordance with all due process'.