MSPs probe how new Arran ferries are progressing

A Holyrood committee this week visited the shipyard where the new Arran ferry, the MV Glen Sannox, is being built along with her sister ship, which could also be Arran bound.

 

As reported in last week's Banner, the Scottish government is considering using the ship, still only known as Hull 802, for summer sailings on the main Arran route after two new replacement ferries were approved for the Skye triangle.

 

This week, Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee embarked on a fact-finding visit to the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow as part of its scrutiny of the Auditor General for Scotland’s report, New Vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides.

 

The focus of the visit was to engage with the workforce, senior management and trade union representatives to hear their experiences of constructing the vessels. It is hoped the visit will add a fresh perspective and further context to the wide range of evidence gathered by the committee over the last few months.

 

Committee convener Richard Leonard MSP, deputy convener Sharon Dowie MSP and Willie Coffey MSP also saw how the commissioning programme on MV Glen Sannox and the build programme on Hull 802 is progressing and how the significant operational challenges outlined in the Auditor General’s report are being addressed.

 

Mr Leonard said they wanted to speak to staff to get to the bottom of 'contradictory evidence' heard by the committee and find what progress has been made on the work while being shown round the yard by Ferguson chief executive David Tydeman.

 

The vessels are five years late and could end up being £200m over budget.

 

The delays have left Arran to cope with the ageing MV Caledonian Isles, which will be 30 next year, and serious disruption to the island's lifeline service. The MV Glen Sannox is not expected to enter service on Arran route until later next year, when it will be diverted to Troon. Hull 802 is due for completion in early 2024.

 

During the visit Mr Leonard said: 'We’re on site today to hear the views of the workforce who were around in 2015 so have direct experience of constructing the vessels. Getting out and hearing from these important voices first-hand will add context to the wide range of evidence we’ve already taken in a more formal setting at Holyrood.

 

'We’ll also meet with senior management and trade union representatives and gain a further understanding of the logistics and layout of the operation. This ‘on-the-ground’ perspective will be invaluable as we seek to get to the bottom of why there have been such long delays, why costs have soared to almost three and a half times the value of the original contract and what must be done to ensure the same errors are not made on future transport projects.'

 

The committee will hear from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today (Friday). This public session will allow the committee to question the First Minister directly about her role, and that of her government, in the contract.

 

Mr Leonard said the committee wanted ask the First Minister about the level at which decisions about the ferry contract were made.

 

'It's clear the First Minister's name has been mentioned in some of the evidence we've taken, whether it's around the announcement of the preferred bidder status of the yard, whether it's about the decision to launch the Glen Sannox a couple of years later, but also about at what level in government were decisions taken,' he said.

 

'The award of the contract, the decision to nationalise the yard - were these decisions taken by ministers? Were these decisions taken by cabinet? Were these decisions with the full involvement of the first minister or not?

 

'We've heard contradictory evidence, so we're keen to get to the bottom of that.'

 

After the visit, Mr Leonard said they had heard 'many open and honest views' and they had been impressed by the 'passionate workforce' who took pride in their work.

 

The committee is also due to consider, in private, written responses from Stuart McMillan MSP, Keith Brown MSP, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Transport Scotland.

 

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All photographs: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

 

David Tydeman, left, welcomes convener Richard Leonard and the committee to the yard. NO_B44visit01

 

Mr Tydeman explains how work is progressing.NO_B44visit02

 

The MSPs climb the gangway to board the MV Glen Sannox. NO_B44visit04

 

The MSPs listen to Mr Tydeman in the huge hanger at the yard. NO_B44visit05

 

The MSPs see the fabrication at the yard. NO_B44visit06

 

Mr Leonard asks a question under Hull 802. NO_B44visit08