Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:03 pm on 30 October 2024.
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards securing a long-term future for Ferguson Marine. (S6O-03852)
We have been working closely with the board of Ferguson Marine to look at the options for a sustainable future. Graham Simpson will know about our willingness to provide substantial new funding to modernise the yard, to enhance productivity and to strengthen its ability to compete for new business.
The Deputy First Minister will be aware that Ferguson Marine is in the running for the small vessel replacement programme, which is good news, but what happens if the yard does not win any of that work? Is there a plan B? Is Ferguson Marine in line for any other contracts? What is the plan to return it to the private sector?
I am glad that I was sitting down when Graham Simpson said that something was good news. I share his optimism on that point. We are all pleased to see progress in the procurement process for seven new small vessels. As he said, Ferguson Marine is one of the six shipbuilders that have been selected by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, the procuring authority, to move to the next stage. He will know that, as per procurement legislation and guidelines, I am not involved in the review or selection process, and I would be loth to be drawn into commenting further on a matter that he might come back to criticise me on. We will leave it at that, but we can agree that it is good news.
We have a brief supplementary question from Stuart McMillan, who joins us remotely.
Mr McMillan, would you put your camera on, please?
Mr McMillan, you do not have your camera on, and we like to see people live when they are speaking.
I welcome the Scottish Government’s work so far to save the jobs at Ferguson Marine and its commitment to protect those jobs through the significant investment to help to future proof the site. Will the Deputy First Minister say any more about what she hopes to achieve from that investment and about the long-term benefit to the yard?
Stuart McMillan will know that, when I set out that additional investment, I said that it would always be subject to the completion of the necessary legal and commercial evaluations. Our hope is that the additional investment secures a long-term future for the yard by making it more competitive and more productive, meaning that it is able to compete when it comes to tenders for additional work. Ultimately, that is the route by which Ferguson Marine has a long-term future, which will put to best use the brilliant skills of the workforce at the yard.
That concludes portfolio questions on Deputy First Minister responsibilities, the economy and Gaelic. I apologise to those few members whose supplementary questions I was unable to take, but we are very tight for time this afternoon. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next portfolio.