Government agency responses to ferries inquiry verged on contempt

Richard Leonard said Government and its agencies should improve co-operation with parliamentary scrutiny (Russell Cheyne/PA)

Responses from Scottish Government agencies to the Holyrood investigation into the Ferguson Marine ferries fiasco verged on “contempt”, the committee convener has said.

Richard Leonard, convener of the Public Audit Committee, said members agree it is “time for change” in the Government’s approach to parliamentary scrutiny.

The committee on Thursday published its long-awaited report into the delays and cost overruns for the Glen Sannox and the as-yet-unnamed hull 802 at the Port Glasgow shipyard.

As well as criticising ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon, it called for greater transparency and improved record-keeping.

Ferries procurement — The Glen Sannox, and another vessel currently under construction, are overdue and over budget (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Leonard referred to evidence from Transport Scotland which the committee said was late and incomplete.

In December, the Government agency blamed a “formatting error” for the fact two paragraphs were missing from a letter it handed over to the committee.

Mr Leonard told the PA news agency: “I’m not a cynical person. But I do think it stretches credibility to believe that it was a formatting error that led to the two most significant paragraphs in that letter to be omitted from it. And for that to be supplied to a parliamentary committee which has undertaken an inquiry.

“Some of what happened in the course of our work did verge on the edge of contempt.”

The two missing paragraphs concerned the issue of a builder’s refund guarantee.

Transport Scotland has said the committee already had this text in a copy of the letter provided by an MSP.

Mr Leonard, a Scottish Labour MSP, said ministers and public agencies have obligations to be open and co-operative with Parliament, and he urged the Permanent Secretary and the next first minister to “take a long look” at the report.

The Scottish Government has until the middle of May to provide a formal response to the committee’s report.

Mr Leonard said: “We are approaching a crossroads, in the next few days, there will be a new first minister.

“The conclusions and recommendations we make are going to be on the desk of the new first minister, in their in-tray, and I hope that they will put them at the top of their in-tray and see them as a priority.

“It’s time for change, I think is the message from the committee.

“Certainly the majority of the committee’s view is that there needs to be a changed approach from Government, public agencies, and ministers to parliamentary scrutiny.”