Release secret ferries fiasco report, urges MSP

A SECRET report into performance at the state-owned Ferguson shipyard must be released, according to one of the MSPs involved in an inquiry into the ferries fiasco.

Tory MSP Craig Hoy called for the findings of a ‘benchmarking exercise’ to be handed to the public audit committee, which is holding the inquiry.

Former shipyard owner Jim McColl is also calling for the report, by First Marine International (FMI), to be released to the committee. It comes after the Mail revealed private correspondence from Tim Hair, the former turnaround director at the Port Glasgow yard, which admitted the report ‘has a very negative assessment of the position at Ferguson’.

Mr Hoy said: ‘The public audit committee must be given full access to all documents relating to the ongoing ferries fiasco.

‘There is £250million of taxpayers’ money on the line and the SNP Government and those now involved in running Ferguson shipyard cannot hide behind gagging orders or claims of commercial confidentiality to prevent the committee getting to the bottom of this scandal.’

The Scottish Government and its management team at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow (FMPG) have rejected Freedom of Information requests to publish the report by FMI, a global shipbuilding consultancy.

Following a review of its decision, FMPG said the report focused on areas of improvement needed at the yard which will ‘positively impact the company’s business model in the future’.

Mr McColl urged the public audit committee to demand it gets a copy of the report, as he claimed it could prove the Scottish Government’s nationalisation of the yard had ‘a huge impact on the delays and cost overruns’ on the contract to build two CalMac ferries.

A spokesman for FMPG said: ‘The report includes commercially sensitive data that, if published, could impact and prejudice future commercial interests.’