First Minister to face ferry fiasco questions at Holyrood
Nicola Sturgeon will appear at the Public Audit Committee
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be taking questions from a committee of MSPs about what has gone wrong with the procurement of two ferries for CalMac being built at the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow, which are both late and over budget.
Costs for construction of the Glen Sannox and as-yet-unnamed Hull 802 are now estimated at more than £300m - which is more than three times the intial £97m budget.
The ships are due to be delivered in 2023 and early 2024, with the Glen Sannox destined for the route between Ayrshire and the Isle of Arran, with the possibility of the second ship also being deployed on that service.
READ MORE: MSP's fact-finding trip to Ferguson yard
Multiple failings
In March, Audit Scotland said there had been a "multitude of failings" in the delivery of the two ferries, which are still under construction at the shipyard in Port Glasgow.
The First Minister will give evidence to Holyrood's Public Audit Committee on Friday morning.
Former transport minister Derek Mackay spoke to the committee in September and denied the contract was awarded to Ferguson Marine for political purposes.
Last week it emerged the Glen Sannox will initially have to run on diesel fuel when it enters service, despite being designed to also run on liquified natural gas (LNG).
This is due to a delay in the supply of a part which would enable the LNG engine to run.
First Minister 's 'regrets'
Ms Sturgeon has previously said she has "deep regret" over the delays and cost overruns, but insisted the Government was right to do everything possible to save jobs at the shipyard, which is currently in public ownership.
Ahead of the First Minister's committee appearance, the Scottish Liberal Democrats said several key issues need to be addressed in her evidence.
Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "There is a real risk that Nicola Sturgeon's appearance at the Public Audit Committee will only herald more filibustering and finger-pointing.
"When her disgraced former transport minister came to give evidence, he was hurried out the back door. His refusal to apologise for the catastrophe epitomised the SNP's deluded approach to the whole sorry affair.
"That is why I am calling on the First Minister to address four key issues when she gives evidence.
"She must announce a new economic framework which can show how Government projects represent value for money.
"She must also announce a long-term investment plan in Scotland's ferries, and outline a likely timeline for the completion of the new ships."
Cal Mac's ageing fleet
MV Glen Sannox launch
Perhaps the most infamous ferry in Scotland, MV Glen Sannox was launched by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, at the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow in November 2017. The yard won the contract to build two ferries which could be powered by either regular marine diesel fuel or LNG. Five years later the ship has yet to enter service and the yard has been nationalised after falling into administration amid a row with the Scottish Government about the delays and escalating cost of the project.
MV Glen Sannox delays
MV Glen Sannox is intended to become the main ferry for the service between Ardrossan and Brodick on the Isle of Arran. A sister ship - as-yet unnamed - will operate in the Western Isles. The vessels are more than five years late and will cost £250m - more than twice their original budget. The ship has required extensive remedial work including alterations to the hull and replacement of the original electrictal cables which were found to be too short. It is expected to be in service in summer 2023.
Busiest route
CalMac's busiest route is the crossing between Largs and Cumbrae Slip in the Firth of Clyde, which in summer operates every 15 minutes, although drivers can be forced to wait in queues of more than an hour at the busiest times. In 2021 it carried 175,000 vehicles and 619,000 passengers.
Oldest vessel
CalMac's least-busy route is a summer-only service between Ardrossan and Campbeltown in Kintrye, which carried just 8,427 passengers in 2021. It is operated by the firm's oldest ship, MV Isle of Arran, which was launched in Troon in 1983.
Passengers only
CalMac operates the passenger-only service between Dunoon and Gourock. For many years the route also carried vehicles but there was long-standing controversy with claims of unfair public subsidy against a rival private operator. The service can be vulnerable to poor weather conditions relying on lighter vessels such as the catamaran Ali Cat.
Battery power
For the last decade CalMac has made the first moves to reduce the carbon emissions of its fleet with the introduction of three hybrid ferries which can operate on battery or diesel power. They were constructed at the Ferguson yard in Port Glasgow and operate some of the shortest crossings on the network
Private rival
There are ferry services which are not run by CalMac. The privately-owned Western Ferries operates between McInroy's Point (near Gourock) and Hunter's Quay (near Dunoon) on a turn-up-and-go service using up to four vessels at one time.
Foreign-built ships
Until the recent Ferguson scandal CalMac's newest and largest ships had been built by foreign yards, including the MV Finglaggan, launched by the Remontowa yard in Poland in 2010 to serve Islay.
Capacity issues
Since 2016 The introduction of the cheaper RET fares structure - linked to the cost to drive the same distance by road - and increasing popularlity of 'staycation' and campervan touring - is linked to increasing pressure on routes to the most popular islands, with sailings booked-up weeks in advance.
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