Nicola Sturgeon has accused Douglas Ross of "making issues up" throughout a heated debate at First Minster's Questions on the ferries fiasco.
The First Minister hit again on the Scottish Tory chief after he accused her of not taking accountability for additional delays to 2 CalMac vessels.
An replace despatched to the Web Zero, Power and Transport Committee from the Ferguson Marine CEO, David Tydeman, on Wednesday stated the date for handover for 802 will probably be pushed again once more from December subsequent 12 months to the primary quarter of 2024, whereas the Glen Sannox could also be topic to "one to 2 months of slippage".
It comes after an Audit Scotland report revealed earlier this 12 months that each ferries are 5 years late and at doubtlessly two-and-a-half occasions the preliminary value. The Port Glasgow shipyard went bust in 2019 and needed to be nationalised consequently.
Ross stated: "I do not suppose Nicola Sturgeon will ever be on very sturdy floor talking about ferries as a result of she is extremely saying that the £84 million projected within the letter to the committee of this Parliament and spoken to her authorities ministers every week in the past goes to be scrutinised.
"That is mainly the First Minister saying it'll be an £84m enhance for 3 months. I am undecided what scrutiny of those estimates she goes to provide you with apart from saying that a three month delay is mainly costing taxpayers about one million kilos a day.
"The federal government appears to have given particular remedy to a political adviser and ally. This appears to be like like company fraud beneath a stench of political corruption, however no person has been sacked. The federal government says no person is accountable and no person is in charge."
Sturgeon stated her authorities will "alway take accountability" for its actions, whereas she additionally accused Ross of "making up issues".
She added: "Douglas Ross is now diminished to easily standing up and making up issues that I've stated in solutions to questions. I'll by no means apologise for the actions this authorities has taken to avoid wasting the roles of the individuals who work at Ferguson's shipyard.
"Maybe in contrast to counterparts in different governments I'll alway take accountability for the actions of this authorities."
This week, new allegations have surfaced that the yard had sight of a greater than 400-page report setting out the technical necessities for the vessels earlier than it was awarded the contract.
In response to the BBC, it was given to the yard by a design guide, one thing that its former proprietor, Jim McColl, stated would have put them in a "very sturdy place" to win the contract over the 5 different bidders.
Massive elements of the doc had been copied verbatim into the Ferguson Marine bid, the report acknowledged.
Caledonian Maritime Property Restricted (CMAL) rejected claims there had been "preferential remedy" supplied to Ferguson Marine given the physique's board voiced its sturdy opposition to the yard being awarded the contract over the dearth of a builder's refund assure.
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