New figure for cost of ferries fiasco revealed by SNP Government
Latest twist in saga with at least seven months still to go before second vessel completed
The Scottish Government has disputed claims by the Scottish Conservatives over the cost of the two hugely over budget ferries being built by a state owned shipyard - and said the total is £40 million is lower than alleged.
The move came despite John Swinney failing to confirm at First Minister’s Questions whether the Ferguson Marine bill had reached £460m compared to the original £97m contract.
Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay criticised Mr Swinney for a “deeply concerning answer” when he said he “could not be definitive” about the total cost of Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.
However, when The Scotsman asked the Scottish Government whether the £460m was correct because that was higher than previous estimates, it provided a lower figure.
Its spokesperson said: “Total costs to deliver the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa are forecasted to be £418.25m. This includes contingency costs of £12.5 million [for Glen Rosa].”
Glen Rosa completion expected to be eight years late
The Port Glasgow yard revealed last week that Glen Rosa is not now expected to be finished until between April and June next year - up to nine months later than the previously announced date and eight years after the originally scheduled completion in 2018.
Glen Sannox was finished six-and-a-half years late last November and entered service on CalMac’s Troon to Brodick in Arran route in January.
The Scottish Government said its figure comprised £83.25 million paid to the yard for constructing the ferries before it was nationalised in 2019 plus the completion costs since - £150m for Glen Sannox and an estimated £185m for Glen Rosa, which included the £12.5m contingency.
The Glen Rosa total is £35m more than previous estimates.
The Scottish Government indicated that any loans and other payments that had been included in the £460m figure claimed by the Scottish Conservatives should be classed as investment in the wider yard to keep it operating and the workforce in jobs.
The Scottish Conservatives said they stood be the figure, which included a £45m loan that they said would not be repaid.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats said the big picture was that the ferries will cost far more than they should have done and would be competed years late.
Economy spokesperson Jamie Greene said: “The SNP are spinning this fiasco so hard it’s probably enough to power one of the ferries.
“The Scottish Government cannot ignore the reality that these ferries are hundreds millions of pounds over budget and massively delayed.
“The true cost to the taxpayer cannot and should not be hidden by spin doctors massaging the cost overruns.
“The Government's failings have made life miserable for businesses across Arran, with islanders being forced to cancel important trips to the mainland, including for things like hospital appointments and funerals.
“Despite that disruption, no one in this SNP Government has ever taken an ounce of responsibility, which smacks of both arrogance and incompetence.”
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced increased scrutiny of the project after the latest delay and cost overrun was announced by the yard’s new chief executive Graeme Thomson last Tuesday.
She said the firm had blamed “historic failures in project planning, poor sequencing of work and a loss of focus during the delivery of Glen Sannox”.
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