Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 25 September 2024.
Jamie Greene
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it has considered making to governance arrangements at Ferguson Marine, in light of recent reported concerns around quality control at the yard. (S6O-03752)
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
The strategic commercial assets Division is responsible for governance arrangements around the delivery of Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa. That includes weekly meetings with the management team at Ferguson Marine, and recently introduced daily reports from the technical advisers that enable us to closely monitor progress in relation to the handover of Glen Sannox. The implementation of quality control measures is an operational matter for Ferguson Marine, in line with the framework agreement that was refreshed this year to take account of the need for operational independence.
Jamie Greene
Conservative
I cast the Deputy First Minister’s memory back to the end of June and the glorious summer day when I stood at the front of this chamber and asked her whether she was expecting any delays to the delivery of Glen Sannox. Would it be delivered by the end of July, as was promised, I asked. In response, I was reassured twice, if not three times, that there were no delays.
Two days later—funnily enough, once we had all exited the building for the summer recess—and guess what? Delays were announced and—I give a spoiler alert to colleagues—the ship is still to be handed over to CalMac, and it is nearly October. Given that that is supposedly a strategic national asset for the country, what faith can we have that the Scottish Government—which sits as a director of the company—has any oversight of or responsibility in decisions, including in relation to any delays, which we usually discover in the media, instead of in this chamber?
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
The member will know that, in the light of the yard’s operational independence, I do not control or dictate when the chief executive officer and the chair—who are directly accountable to Parliament—choose to update Parliament.
I had no involvement in the timing of the letter. When I answered the member, I was doing so on the basis of all the evidence that I had before me at that point. It is really important to put that on the record.
In the most recent letter, of 12 September, to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee—the letter was issued on the decision of the chair—the interim chief executive officer of Ferguson Marine indicated that the handover date for MV Glen Sannox would move to mid-October 2024. On the basis of all the evidence that I have in front of me, the proposed handover for MV Glen Rosa remains at 30 September 2025.
Stuart McMillan
Scottish National Party
Can the Deputy First Minister say any more about how the Scottish Government is working on the next phase of the modernisation of the yard, to ensure that it has a sustainable and competitive future?
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
Our aim and ambition is for the yard to have a sustainable and competitive future. We are fully committed to delivering that beyond the completion of MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa.
When I visited the yard in July, I signalled the Government’s willingness to back the board’s investment plan, provided that it delivers value for money and meets commercial standards. As work on the CalMac Ferries continues, our priority is helping Ferguson Marine to secure and win commercial contracts, positioning it to thrive in a competitive market, learning from successful international models and strengthening the yard’s competitiveness through investment.
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