Call for transparency over ferry contract
The Labour Party in the Western Isles has renewed its call for SNP Ministers to ‘come clean’ on the terms of the PFI deal under which the ferry Loch Seaforth is subleased by CalMac.
Labour prospective candidate Alison MacCorquodale said ‘secrecy can no longer be tolerated’ and the people and businesses who depend on a reliable service ‘need to know the full story’.
She said: ‘SNP ministers, the local MSP and MP ignored local opinion by going for a one ferry solution. They then procured the Loch Seaforth on a PFI basis which had never been used before in CalMac’s history. It is now clear this was an arrangement fraught with difficulty. The truth of this is now becoming apparent even sooner than we feared. We now need to know the terms of the SNP’s deal with Lloyd’s Bank, which owns the Loch Seaforth. Who is responsible for maintenance and, in the event of breakdown or serious failure, where does responsibility lie for ensuring alternative provision?’
Ms MacCorquodale said the vessel is showing ‘alarming signs of unreliability’ at this early stage in its life.
‘SNP ministers have already refused to provide cover for the freight service on grounds of cost, having first claimed falsely that no vessels were available for lease,’ she continued. ‘But what is the cost to the Western Isles of unreliable ferry services, imposed from Edinburgh by people who appear to care little for the implications?’