Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 08 June 2023
08 Jun 2023 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
New Vessels for the Clyde and the Hebrides (Report)
I thank the clerks and staff of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee for their support in compiling the detailed report, which documents a shocking series of bad decisions and poor practice, culminating in two ferries that are three times over budget and five years late. Those are two ferries that are still to set sail, and one of which it would now be cheaper to scrap and start all over again.
Long-established procurement processes were not followed. It is a sorry story of key decisions not being properly recorded, ministers failing to account for the decisions that they took, key documents going missing, the ministerial code being broken, the biggest blank cheque in the history of the Scottish Parliament being written, standard maritime construction processes being dismissed, and financial safeguards and standard builders refund guarantees being disregarded.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-09327, in the name of Richard Leonard, on the Public Audit Committee report “New vessels for the Clyde an...
Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I begin by reminding members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, and by thanking the clerks and staff for their tireless work on the productio...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, Mr Leonard. I remind all members who wish to speak in the debate to ensure that they have, in fact, pressed their request-to-speak button. I also ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy (Neil Gray)
SNP
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First, I would like to put on record my thanks to the previous Minister for Transport, Kevin Stewart, who was due to...
Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I have a couple of questions for the cabinet secretary. First, when are we going to find out the Government’s view on project Neptune and what the future arr...
Neil Gray
SNP
On project Neptune, that work is on-going, as Graham Simpson will know. On the other elements of the report, we have responded to it, and I will come to that...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
Can I ask whether, before the Government nationalised the shipbuilding yard, any work was done to look at how much it would cost to maintain the original Fer...
Neil Gray
SNP
Obviously, challenges emerged as the work went on. Due diligence was done in terms of the nationalisation, and, of course, circumstances change, as Brian Whi...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Neil Gray
SNP
I will make some progress before I come back to Mr Halcro Johnston. I will provide more detail on the work at Ferguson’s later in my contribution, but I wan...
Neil Gray
SNP
I am sorry, but I need to conclude—Interruption. I am coming to a conclusion, although I will obviously be available in my closing statement. I thank the Pu...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Craig Hoy to open on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives for a reasonably generous seven minutes. 15:16
Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the clerks and staff of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee for their support in compiling the detailed report, which documents a shocki...
Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)
SNP
Surely, the biggest blank cheque was the building of this Parliament, when the Scottish National Party was not in power.
Craig Hoy
Con
I said, “in the history of the Scottish Parliament.” The member might not have realised that, in the case that he has raised, the blank cheque was written be...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I thank you for taking my point of order without any notice. I am concerned that Mr Hoy appears to be putting on reco...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I thank Clare Haughey for her point of order. I wondered about that myself, but it is not entirely clear to me what the facts are and whether Mr Hoy is refer...
Craig Hoy
Con
I am referring to the appendix of the report that has the breakdown of the divisions that took place at each point. Each motion that was put before the commi...
Craig Hoy
Con
That is a good question. Where is Mr Brown? Also, where is the former Deputy First Minister and the former First Minister? They are not here. Instead, the SN...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Ms Haughey, we do not need the sedentary chit-chat. That applies also to Mr Simpson.
Craig Hoy
Con
Let us look at Mr Brown’s shocking attempt to dodge scrutiny. The committee’s draft report concluded: “The lack of co-operation we experienced from the form...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
Will Craig Hoy give way?
Craig Hoy
Con
I do not have time. In the end, thankfully, their attempts to divert, dilute, distract and delete legitimate criticism of the Government did not succeed, an...
Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the debate on behalf of Scottish Labour. I wish my colleague Alex Rowley a speedy recovery from his recent plan...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I apologise, Deputy Presiding Officer, because, as agreed, I will be unable to remain in the chamber for the conclusion of this debate, as I need to attend a...
Neil Gray
SNP
Will the member give way?
Willie Rennie
LD
Let me conclude this point. In the wake of that, he thought that it was time to claim credit for that decision, making a virtue out of it while taxpayers pi...
Neil Gray
SNP
I am glad that Willie Rennie provided the additional context for my decision. I proceeded with written authority over a narrow value-for-money assessment, wh...
Willie Rennie
LD
Who created that context? It was this Government that made a series of terrible decisions over many years, many of which were outlined by Richard Leonard in ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate. I advise members that, at present, we have some time in hand, so that can be factored in. If that changes in due course, the chai...