Senior SNP ministers ought to give oral proof to a committee of MSPs investigating the delayed Ferguson Marine ferries, the Lib Dems have demanded.
Willie Rennie claimed that Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney ought to be part of former Transport Secretary Derek Mackay in giving proof at Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee.
Mackay was transport minister when the contract was authorised to construct two ferries at the Port Glasgow shipyard and has already been invited to offer proof in individual later this yr.
Following the award of the contract in 2015, the development of the 2 CalMac ferries was plagued with delays and the shipyard was nationalised.
The 2 vessels - the Glen Sannox and the as-yet-unnamed hull 802 - have been initially resulting from be accomplished in 2018, however have since been delayed till at the least 2023 and prices have greater than doubled from the unique price ticket of £97 million.
Rennie stated: “It's only proper that Derek MacKay ought to seem earlier than Parliament however he was not the only real member of Nicola Sturgeon’s cupboard concerned in signing off this multi-million-pound contract.
“The general public have heard from transport officers and shipyard representatives that John Swinney, Keith Brown and Nicola Sturgeon herself have been all concerned within the determination to take over Ferguson Marine and to offer it with in depth monetary help. They need to be part of Derek Mackay in giving proof to Parliament.
“Island communities have been sorely let down by the Authorities and so they have waited too lengthy for solutions.
“These communities rely upon the success of ferry contracts like this one. The SNP, nevertheless, have completed subsequent to nothing to point out that they perceive this.
“It's past laughable that the SNP can discuss of operating an impartial nation once they can’t even get folks from A to B.”
Rennie has written to the convener of the Public Audit Committee, Richard Leonard, asking him to ask Sturgeon, Swinney and Brown to offer oral proof.
Mackay has already supplied written proof to the committee, during which he stated there was a “excessive stage of confidence” within the shipyard.
A Scottish Parliament spokesman stated: “Previous to summer season recess, the Public Audit Committee agreed to ask the previous Minister for Transport & Islands and the previous chief govt of Transport Scotland to offer proof in its inquiry.
“Selecting witnesses to offer proof past these people is a matter for the committee.”
And a Scottish Authorities spokesman stated: “Invitations to parliamentary committees are totally a matter for particular person committees – not for the Authorities.”
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