The SNP government spent an estimated £620,000 of taxpayers’ cash on a ‘value for money’ report into the ferries scandal – which they then ignored.
A written answer from Neil Gray to Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston reveals the “eye-watering cost” cost of the “due diligence” which led to his admission last month that it would be cheaper to scrap Hull 802 and start from scratch.
In his parliamentary statement, the secretary for wellbeing economy, fair work and energy announced that the Scottish government would proceed with the more expensive option of sticking with 802 because the two Ferguson Marine vessels were already six years behind schedule.
Jamie Halcro Johnston described the cost of the ‘value for money’ report as “the latest kick in the teeth to taxpayers and betrayed islanders in a never-ending scandal”.
He also urged Neil Gray to come clean and reveal the estimated cost differential between ploughing on with the completion of 802 and building a new vessel from scratch.
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for business, trade, tourism and enterprise Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP said: “The SNP’s ferries scandal continues to hemorrhage public money on an industrial scale, while the wait for these lifeline vessels goes on.
“It’s a shameful testament to SNP mismanagement that their ‘due diligence’ revealed that completing 802 at Ferguson Marine did not represent value for money, and that it would be cheaper to scrap it and start all over again.
“On balance, ploughing on at Ferguson was probably the least worst option – as the alternative was even longer delays. But for an eye-watering £620k to have been spent on a so-called value for money report establishing it is not cost effective is the latest kick in the teeth to taxpayers and betrayed islanders in a never-ending scandal.
“At the very least, Neil Gray must come clean to taxpayers about how much cheaper it would have been to build a new ferry elsewhere, compared to finishing 802 which is still languishing in Port Glasgow.
“It’s typical of the SNP’s secrecy and lack of accountability throughout this national scandal that he has so far refused to do so.”