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The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Cost to repair CalMac ferry now costs £2m more than to buy replacement
The rejected ferry was similar in design to the 'emergency' catamaran ferry MV Alfred serving Arran that has now been chartered for a further five months to help state-owned ferry operator CalMac cope with lifeline services across the Clyde and Hebrides network. The usual Arran ferry MV Caledonian Isles was due out of its annual overhaul on February 17, last year but remains out of service. After a series of postponements, its latest scheduled return has been pencilled in for June 12. Some users had hoped it would be back on Monday and CalMac said it was always earmarked for the week beginning June 9. The ship has faced a series of issues including rust and twisted frames. In the meantime, the service to Brodick has had to move from Ardrossan and continue from Troon with a two-vessel service of the new much delayed and wildly over-budget Ferguson Marine-built MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred. Four years ago the Scottish Government-owned owner of the ferry fleet demanded a foreign firm pay up to £100,000 to gain UK maritime approval before purchasing ferry for just £9m - and the insistence led to the deal collapsing. Discussions about acquiring the Indonesia-built vessel came before what was described at the time as a 'summer of chaos' across Scotland's ageing ferry network. READ MORE: Why has a 'rudderless' CalMac ferry been out of action for 16 months 'Final nail in coffin'. Scots fiasco firm loses out on big ferry contract to Poland 'Material uncertainty' over Scots ferry operator future amidst £45m funding hike 'Mismanagement': Public cost of Scots ferry fiasco firm hits £750m amidst overspends It was claimed that Scottish Government-owned procuring and ferry owning company Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) made an "incredible" move to have the overseas owners fork out for the official approvals for any modifications to make it suitable for Scottish waters which were estimated to have cost no more than £100,000. CalMac (Image: Newsquest) Scottish Labour's spokesman for community safety Katy Clark said: 'Spending almost £11m to repair a vessel that is 32 years old shows once again the wasteful nature of this SNP Scottish Government and poor decision making when it comes to spending public money and their utter lack of planning to ensure the CalMac fleet was renewed. "The SNP government quango, Caledonian Marine assets Limited (CMAL) rejected calls four years ago to buy a brand new £9m catamaran ferry to support the islanders of Arran and those that travel from the mainland to the island. "We now have ended up with a bill to the taxpayer of £10.8m for a vessel that's already months late in returning to service and which can't be guaranteed to even last the summer months given its history of breaking down." The West of Scotland MSP added: "This is another blow for the residents on Arran and the mainland. The Scottish Government have serious questions to answer again relating to their complete failure to ensure a reliable service between Arran and Ardrossan. "It is imperative that [transport secretary ] Fiona Hyslop gets to grips with this situation, provides a definitive business case for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour to ensure there is a ferry service that people can rely on and that they put in place an adequate vessel building programme in Scotland. We need decisive action not further delays and vessels that aren't fit for purpose.' A ferry user group official said that the rising costs of repairs were "indicative of the mismanagement of Scotland's ferries" and called for CMAL to take the use of catamarans like MV Alfred seriously. "The cost of this repair really does beggar belief and the fact that the price of it would more than have paid for a catamaran like MV Alfred is incredible." The Mull & Iona Ferry Committee had been pushing the purchase of the ferry because of issues with the ferry services after local experts discovered the vessel had become available last year. MV Alfred (Image: NQ) The ferry would have been capable of taking two thirds of the number of cars that MV Glen Sannox would have been able to accommodate and a condition of the sale was that it would have had to be approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which provides official certification for all ships. The over-200 foot metre roll-on roll off ferry could take 300 passengers and around 80 cars and was originally designed for a non-UK company, and was regulated for the Australian market. But the Scottish Government said that after a review of a Maritime Safety Innovations (MSI) report it was decided not to pursue the purchase of the vessel. The sellers, Hong Kong-base Sealease, criticised the handling of the failed potential purchase saying that it was common market practice that the buyer pays for regulatory approvals. The ferry committee had been introduced to the potential advantages of medium-speed catamarans by noted ferry experts Prof Alf Baird and Roy Pedersen. In May 2020, Mr Pedersen wrote to the CMAL alerting him to the opportunity to buy the catamaran that was under construction in Batam, Indonesia. The catamaran was similar in design to the MV Alfred owned by Pentland Ferries which before its operation as an 'emergency ferry' for Arran in the past two years was operating to and from Orkney. Dubbed the most environmentally-friendly ferry service of its kind in Scotland, MV Alfred was said to burn one third of the fuel of an equivalent CalMac ferry with space for up to 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12 articulated vehicles/coaches. A shore-based wind turbine provides power when the vessel is docked overnight. It has, meanwhile been confirmed that the 'emergency' CalMac catamaran ferry which is being chartered for a further five months will be costing the taxpayer some £22m. Pentland Ferries has stated that it has signed an agreement with publicly funded CalMac to extend the charter of MV Alfred till the end of October. Pentland Ferries staff, who are operating services on behalf of Scottish Government-owned ferry operator CalMac, bought MV Alfred for £14m in 2019 to operate between Caithness and Orkney. It has previously emerged that Scotland's ageing ferries have been hit by a staggering 2,000% rise in cancellations due to breakdowns over 13 years. Crisis-hit CalMac was forced to axe 4,485 lifeline sailings due to technical faults in 2023 compared with just 217 in 2010 as it struggled to keep its fleet afloat. Meanwhile, the company running the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde has been dogged with issues with the delivery of major lifeline ferries Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which were due online in the first half of 2018 when Ferguson Marine was under the control of tycoon Jim McColl. With both to serve Arran, they have been over seven years late, while Glen Rosa might won't see passengers till the middle of 2026 at the earliest. The last estimates suggest the costs of delivery have increased five-fold from the original £97m cost. A Transport Scotland spokesman said: 'The Scottish Government is investing in six new major vessels to serve Scotland's ferry network from 2025, alleviating the need for extensive repairs on older vessels and improving reliability. The first of these vessels, MV Glen Sannox, was delivered into service earlier this year and we expect the first of the Islay class vessels later this summer. 'CMAL have also awarded the contract for a further seven new smaller vessels which will serve routes across the west coast and have also just announced the start of procurement for two new vessels for the Northern Isles routes serving Orkney and Shetland. 'To improve service in the short term, we also purchased the MV Loch Frisa and extended the charter of the MV Alfred. We continue to work with operators and CMAL to improve resilience across our networks.'
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
£400k cost of ScotGov Euro 2028 ticket tout ban that 'won't work'
Scotland is set to host at least two group stage matches of Euro 2028 at Hampden Park in Glasgow but the Scottish Government believes it has to issue new laws to allow Scottish courts to levy fines on those who resell tickets for profit. Although the exact number of matches Scotland will host is yet to be finalised by the governing body of European football UEFA, Hampden Park will be the sole Scottish venue for the tournament. The nation hosted four matches at Euro 2020. But for Scotland to co-host Euro 2028 as part of a joint UK and Ireland championship, the Scottish Government will have to bring in new commercial rights protections over and above that which already exists in law. The bill will temporary ban the ticket touting - or the unauthorised sale of tournament tickets above face value cost for profit. Under the proposed new laws touts who resell tickets for the Glasgow matches could face fines of up to £20,000. But it will not prevent people from outwith Scotland trading in the tickets - with enforcement action only possible for those briefs that are touted within the country. It has further emerged that the rules would allow UEFA to continue to resell tickets through its own platforms. Euro 2028Finlay Swan, associate solicitor at Holmes Mackillop in his examination of the bill seen by ministers said it will not go far enough to sustain the integrity of the event and fails to target the "true culprits - the international faceless syndicates bulk-buying tickets with a view to profit". Katy Clark, Scottish Labour's shadow community safety minister said there should be a blanket ban on ticket touting. READ MORE by Martin Williams Why does ScotGov have to bring in a ticket tout ban to get a few Euro 2028 football matches? ScotGov raises 'doubt' on CalMac getting new ferry contract from October Council warned of law breach over failure to help sick Leighton's Law toddler 'Stretched to breaking': Nation loses 800 officers since formation of Police Scotland 'Mismanagement': Public cost of Ferguson Marine hits £750m amidst overspends Premier Scots promoters, DF Concerts & Events also called for a consumer law to be introduced that banned ticket touts across all industries including sports and music events. It has emerged that the costs of implementing the rules estimated by ministers will be between £320,000 to £440,000 in total between April 2026 and February 2030 with around half of that spent on the Scottish Government's estimated administrative costs for the bill's implementation. It also estimates that city council enforcement action will amount to between £60,000 and £110,000. It is believed that further costs of enforcing the rules could take the public cost even higher. Mr Swan stated: "Yes, it is a good thing that the Bill will hinder individuals and small groups from buying a few tickets, to then immediately re-sell them for profit via social media and other platforms. 'Yes, it will quell the tout lurking outside Hampden mentioning in passing that he needs to give up a ticket or two. But frankly, are these types of touts really the big concern for your everyday football fan trying to see their national team? I do not think so.' He said the growing concern over the past ten years has been the ability of massive household-name entities "gobbling up" batches of tickets upon initial sale and then selling them on at inflated prices. 'The Bill simply does not address this particular group, and even if it did, a penalty of up to £20,000 is a drop in the ocean for these entities,' he said. 'If the Scottish Government wants to prevent monopolisation of ticket sales, it will need to introduce further restrictions on bulk buying and resale fees. 'Touts have contributed to the pricing-out of fans from the game, and so whilst this bill does have the right intentions, I fear it is aimed at a problem from a bygone-era – the man outside the ground waving a couple of tickets in the air – rather than the true culprits, the international faceless syndicates bulk-buying tickets with a view to profit. As a lifelong football fan, I know who I would rather the government targeted." (Image: Alan Harvey - SNS Group) If passed the bill will also restrict street trading, such as burger vans and outdoor advertising within event zones in Glasgow, in line with commercial rights held by UEFA, the ruling body of European football. The requirements for hosting matches at Hampden will meant that only UEFA-approved traders can trade around the stadium and other event zones. The UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill would allow for unlimited fines possible for the most serious offences. The laws would be automatically repealed on at the end of 2028, after the tournament is finished. According to the Scottish Government, Euro 2028 will showcase Scotland internationally and is predicted to generate socioeconomic benefits of up to £2.6bn - across UK and Ireland. According to its analysis of the whether to introduced the laws, it decided that doing nothing "would risk Scotland being unable to host any matches, reducing the anticipated economic and social benefit from Euro 2028." Its analysis stated: "This could also cause reputational damage to Scotland which might adversely impact any bids to host future mega events." Scottish Labour shadow community safety minister Katy Clark said: "Ticket touting is a disgraceful practice that sees sports fans and concert goers ripped off by being made to pay hugely over the odds to attend matches and events. "There must be a full crackdown on touts and rogue traders who want to prey on hard-pressed football fans at Euro 2028. "However, it's not enough to bring in these restrictions just for the few weeks of Scotland jointly staging Euro 2028. "There needs to be a permanent ban on ticket touting at all sports and entertainment venues in Scotland. Euro 2028 (Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire) "It's vital that there are no loopholes and that the public is properly and permanently protected from ticket rip-offs." Hampden Park, a 52,000 capacity stadium, was host to three group games and a round of 16 tie at Euro 2020 - held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the first time the Scotland men's national team had qualified for a major tournament in more than 20 years. For Euro 2028, nine venues across the four joint host countries of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will stage the 24-team tournament. Six stadiums in England - Wembley, Etihad Stadium, Anfield, Villa Park, Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium and St James' Park in Newcastle - will host games in 2028. Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff make up the list. Business minister Richard Lochhead said about the legislation: 'Hosting Euro 2028 is an opportunity for Scotland to shine globally and to welcome thousands of fans to our cities, pubs, restaurants, hotels and communities. 'Our reputation for hosting major sporting and cultural events is known the world over. Hosting one of the most prestigious sporting events is an opportunity to truly cement this legacy. 'Our legislation intends to sustain the integrity of this world-class sporting event and enables us to grab the economic opportunities of the Euros by meeting our obligations as a host nation. 'That's why we want to tackle unscrupulous ticket touts and uphold our duties to UEFA as a privileged host nation.' A Scottish Government spokesman said: The UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill is essential to tackle ticket touting and to meet UEFA's other commercial rights protection requirements, ensuring the tournament can be hosted here. 'The Bill sets out that the touting offence applies if a ticket is sold above face value or with a view to making a profit to act as a deterrent to touting online including public internet sites, private sales and in person, supporting fair access to tickets and helping ensure public confidence in the event.'
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Public cost of Ferguson Marine hits £750m amidst overspends
The costs so far of the Inverclyde shipyard firm - whose overriding aim has been to deliver the ferries - includes sums to cover running costs, wages, a dramatic slump in the value of the ships and the escalating capital costs of producing the vessels. It soared to nearly £710m before the board last week sought £35m more public money from the Scottish Government because of further rises in the price to deliver the second of the two ferries, Glen Rosa. The Ferguson Marine bill is enough to cover the cost of 13 ferries of the type currently being built at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey. It is enough to provide over 3,400 settled affordable homes in Scotland's housing emergency. It comes as analysis from ferry operator CalMac showed total maintenance and repair costs to the ageing lifeline fleet totalled £252.2m with annual costs rising from £14.8m in 2014–15 to £41.8m in 2024–25 — an increase of 183%. Scottish Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, who is convener of Holyrood's transport committee said: 'I despair that the Scottish Government's business sense and management is so appalling that they can't even recognise they've made a mistake.' Katy Clark, who is Scottish Labour's shadow community safety minister said there was "gross mismanagement" adding: "It's outrageous that hard-pressed families enduring a cost of living crisis are being made to pay the astronomical cost of this." The Scottish Government is currently doing due diligence over the further request for taxpayer backing. The cost of Ferguson Marine, which currently employs over 400 staff, including over 100 sub-contractors, equates to £400m more than what public spending watchdogs Audit Scotland were expecting would be spent to finally deliver the two ferries in 2022 during its inquiry into soaring costs. In the first five years of nationalisation, the final public cost of Ferguson Marine ended up being nearly double what had been budgeted for. It went from a £257m budget to a £468m actual cost. John Swinney and Katy Clark (Image: NQ) But that doesn't include the £120m ploughed in before nationalisation or the further planned spend in the pipeline - with £62.68m budgeted for 2024/25 and £47.86m pencilled in for 2025/26. A £69m overspend in 2023/24 alone - with costs totalling £131m was said to be in the main due to huge slump in the value of the two fiasco ferries being built there. There was a further £9m overspend caused by further works needing done to the ferries and a £3m overspend over crew costs for the Glen Sannox. Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox were both due to be online within first seven months of 2018, to serve Arran. It emerged last week that Glen Rosa is not expected to be delivered until the summer of next year - between April and July while total forecast costs for that ship alone rose by £35m. Ferguson Marine (Image: Newsquest) The costs of Ferguson Marine has soared from £17m in the first year of nationalisation in 2019/20 to £131m in each of the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. Read more from Martin Williams When the contract was agreed in October, 2015, both ferries were due to cost a total of just £97m - and were to be paid for by CMAL by repaying a ministers' loan over 25 years through using revenue it generates from the fees it gets from the lease of vessels like operator CalMac's ferry fleet and harbour access fees. But part of the Scottish Government's special deal to allow then independence-supporting tycoon Jim McColl's Ferguson Marine to win the contract in the wake of CMAL's concerns over a lack of financial guarantees, meant that loan was wiped out. The £83.25m that was drawn down to pay for the construction of the vessels was said at the time to have been "eliminated" after Ferguson Marine under Jim McColl fell into financial trouble. The Scottish Government had previously pumped in £45m in taxpayer-backed loans into Mr McColl's firm which was mostly lost when it fell into administration. It managed to recover just £7.5m from that through the purchase of the Ferguson Marine assets. While then finance secretary Derek Mackay was telling the public one £30m of the £45m loan was 'to further diversify their business", internal documents state the real reason was that FMEL was in financial trouble and at risk of falling into administration. And ministers sought to ensure there was a 'right to buy' of Ferguson Marine when it provided the £30m loan knowing it was creating a path to a controversial state ownership. Highland and islands region MSP Edward Mountain, said: 'The mismanagement of the ferries contract and the nationalisation of Ferguson Marine has cost Scotland dear. Edward Mountain at Ferguson Marine (Image: George Munro) 'This cost is not just financial – we must not forget the islanders, who have had to pay with restrictions on their ability to travel. 'I know that the Scottish Government will argue that it was important to keep Ferguson Marine open, but frankly they could have given a million pounds to every worker there and still had two ferries built in Turkey in half the time." Concerns have heightened over the future of taxpayer-funded Ferguson Marine, after CMAL rejected its bid for a crucial £175m contract to build seven loch-class electric ferries. The contract has ended up with Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk. The board of the loss-making now Scottish Government-owned shipyard firm has previously admitted that questions over further financial support from ministers was casting a "significant doubt" on its ability to continue operations and that the contract for the seven ferries was crucial. Ferguson Marine's contract loss to Poland came after the Scottish Government-owned procurer previously awarded two other ferry contracts to Turkey - with the Scottish Government-owned firm again losing out. Supporters had been campaigning for a direct award of the contract to ensure its future. But ministers decided a direct award could be subject to legal challenge, leading to uncertainty and delay and decided instead to go out to tender. West of Scotland MSP Katy Clark said: "Passengers have been woefully let down by the abysmal and extremely expensive failure to deliver the two lifeline ferries. "Island communities and businesses have been left with nothing whatsoever to show for this gross mismanagement. "There has been a complete absence of leadership from the Scottish Government and successive SNP First Ministers who have presided over this fiasco. "John Swinney must urgently take personal charge of ensuring that the long delayed ferries are delivered by the end of this summer." A ferry user group official said that a public inquiry was needed to investigate whether the public were getting value for money from "propping" up the shipyard. "Islanders just want to see an end to all this," he said. "It seems that every month there are extra costs and extra delays to these ferries and all we want is to see them actually delivered. "The costs of Ferguson Marine are truly unthinkable when you consider how much it is costing to produce ferries for Scotland in Turkey. "The majority, I think, would like to see a thriving Scottish shipyard producing the ferries that Scotland needs, but the reality is that it has been so fundamentally mismanaged by managers and politicians and allowed to be, that you really do wonder if it ever had a future, and whether throwing good public money after bad was ever the wisest route to take." A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'When the Scottish Government intervened to save Ferguson Marine, we did so with a goal of securing a sustainable future for the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde and its skilled workforce. 'Scottish ministers have been clear that a further delay and increased estimated cost to deliver the Glen Rosa are unacceptable and that taxpayers, and the communities which depend on the island ferries service, deserve better. Ferguson Marine's leadership must take immediate and sustained action to restore trust, enforce delivery discipline, and bring this project under control.'
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Public cost of Scots ferry firm hits £750m amidst overspends
The costs so far of the Inverclyde shipyard firm - whose overriding aim has been to deliver the ferries - includes sums to cover running costs, wages, a dramatic slump in the value of the ships and the escalating capital costs of producing the vessels. It soared to nearly £710m before the board last week sought £35m more public money from the Scottish Government because of further rises in the price to deliver the second of the two ferries, Glen Rosa. The Ferguson Marine bill is enough to cover the cost of 13 ferries of the type currently being built at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey. It is enough to provide over 3,400 settled affordable homes in Scotland's housing emergency. It comes as analysis from ferry operator CalMac showed total maintenance and repair costs to the ageing lifeline fleet totalled £252.2m with annual costs rising from £14.8m in 2014–15 to £41.8m in 2024–25 — an increase of 183%. Scottish Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, who is convener of Holyrood's transport committee said: 'I despair that the Scottish Government's business sense and management is so appalling that they can't even recognise they've made a mistake.' Katy Clark, who is Scottish Labour's shadow community safety minister said there was "gross mismanagement" adding: "It's outrageous that hard-pressed families enduring a cost of living crisis are being made to pay the astronomical cost of this." The Scottish Government is currently doing due diligence over the further request for taxpayer backing. The cost of Ferguson Marine, which currently employs over 400 staff, including over 100 sub-contractors, equates to £400m more than what public spending watchdogs Audit Scotland were expecting would be spent to finally deliver the two ferries in 2022 during its inquiry into soaring costs. In the first five years of nationalisation, the final public cost of Ferguson Marine ended up being nearly double what had been budgeted for. It went from a £257m budget to a £468m actual cost. John Swinney and Katy Clark (Image: NQ) But that doesn't include the £120m ploughed in before nationalisation or the further planned spend in the pipeline - with £62.68m budgeted for 2024/25 and £47.86m pencilled in for 2025/26. A £69m overspend in 2023/24 alone - with costs totalling £131m was said to be in the main due to huge slump in the value of the two fiasco ferries being built there. There was a further £9m overspend caused by further works needing done to the ferries and a £3m overspend over crew costs for the Glen Sannox. Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox were both due to be online within first seven months of 2018, to serve Arran. It emerged last week that Glen Rosa is not expected to be delivered until the summer of next year - between April and July while total forecast costs for that ship alone rose by £35m. Ferguson Marine (Image: Newsquest) The costs of Ferguson Marine has soared from £17m in the first year of nationalisation in 2019/20 to £131m in each of the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. Read more from Martin Williams When the contract was agreed in October, 2015, both ferries were due to cost a total of just £97m - and were to be paid for by CMAL by repaying a ministers' loan over 25 years through using revenue it generates from the fees it gets from the lease of vessels like operator CalMac's ferry fleet and harbour access fees. But part of the Scottish Government's special deal to allow then independence-supporting tycoon Jim McColl's Ferguson Marine to win the contract in the wake of CMAL's concerns over a lack of financial guarantees, meant that loan was wiped out. The £83.25m that was drawn down to pay for the construction of the vessels was said at the time to have been "eliminated" after Ferguson Marine under Jim McColl fell into financial trouble. The Scottish Government had previously pumped in £45m in taxpayer-backed loans into Mr McColl's firm which was mostly lost when it fell into administration. It managed to recover just £7.5m from that through the purchase of the Ferguson Marine assets. While then finance secretary Derek Mackay was telling the public one £30m of the £45m loan was 'to further diversify their business", internal documents state the real reason was that FMEL was in financial trouble and at risk of falling into administration. And ministers sought to ensure there was a 'right to buy' of Ferguson Marine when it provided the £30m loan knowing it was creating a path to a controversial state ownership. Highland and islands region MSP Edward Mountain, said: 'The mismanagement of the ferries contract and the nationalisation of Ferguson Marine has cost Scotland dear. Edward Mountain at Ferguson Marine (Image: George Munro) 'This cost is not just financial – we must not forget the islanders, who have had to pay with restrictions on their ability to travel. 'I know that the Scottish Government will argue that it was important to keep Ferguson Marine open, but frankly they could have given a million pounds to every worker there and still had two ferries built in Turkey in half the time." Concerns have heightened over the future of taxpayer-funded Ferguson Marine, after CMAL rejected its bid for a crucial £175m contract to build seven loch-class electric ferries. The contract has ended up with Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk. The board of the loss-making now Scottish Government-owned shipyard firm has previously admitted that questions over further financial support from ministers was casting a "significant doubt" on its ability to continue operations and that the contract for the seven ferries was crucial. Ferguson Marine's contract loss to Poland came after the Scottish Government-owned procurer previously awarded two other ferry contracts to Turkey - with the Scottish Government-owned firm again losing out. Supporters had been campaigning for a direct award of the contract to ensure its future. But ministers decided a direct award could be subject to legal challenge, leading to uncertainty and delay and decided instead to go out to tender. West of Scotland MSP Katy Clark said: "Passengers have been woefully let down by the abysmal and extremely expensive failure to deliver the two lifeline ferries. "Island communities and businesses have been left with nothing whatsoever to show for this gross mismanagement. "There has been a complete absence of leadership from the Scottish Government and successive SNP First Ministers who have presided over this fiasco. "John Swinney must urgently take personal charge of ensuring that the long delayed ferries are delivered by the end of this summer." A ferry user group official said that a public inquiry was needed to investigate whether the public were getting value for money from "propping" up the shipyard. "Islanders just want to see an end to all this," he said. "It seems that every month there are extra costs and extra delays to these ferries and all we want is to see them actually delivered. "The costs of Ferguson Marine are truly unthinkable when you consider how much it is costing to produce ferries for Scotland in Turkey. "The majority, I think, would like to see a thriving Scottish shipyard producing the ferries that Scotland needs, but the reality is that it has been so fundamentally mismanaged by managers and politicians and allowed to be, that you really do wonder if it ever had a future, and whether throwing good public money after bad was ever the wisest route to take." A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'When the Scottish Government intervened to save Ferguson Marine, we did so with a goal of securing a sustainable future for the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde and its skilled workforce. 'Scottish ministers have been clear that a further delay and increased estimated cost to deliver the Glen Rosa are unacceptable and that taxpayers, and the communities which depend on the island ferries service, deserve better. Ferguson Marine's leadership must take immediate and sustained action to restore trust, enforce delivery discipline, and bring this project under control.'
