NICOLA Sturgeon will face the Holyrood probe on two late and over-budget ferries on November 4.
The First Minister was called to give evidence with MSPs on the Public Audit Committee keen to “get to the bottom of what has gone badly wrong” with the two lifeline vessels.
The invitation to the First Minister was issued last month after disgraced former SNP finance secretary Derek Mackay appeared before the committee to discuss his role in the botched ferries contacts scandal.
Her appearance was confirmed by the committee on Friday morning.
Update: we can confirm First Minister @NicolaSturgeon will appear before our Committee on Friday 4 November, to give evidence on the @AuditorGenScot’s new vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides report.
— Public Audit Committee (@SP_PublicAudit) October 21, 2022
Find out more about our work on this report here: https://t.co/73PRdYNG90 pic.twitter.com/yujQ4tdtv9
Both the Glen Sannox and the as-yet-unnamed hull 802 were originally due to be completed in 2018, but have since been delayed until at least 2023. Costs have soared, rising from a predicted £97m to around £240m.
At the heart of the scandal is the Scottish Government's decision to sign off on the deal awarding the contract to Ferguson Marine despite the lack of a full Builder’s Refund Guarantee.
That would have meant the taxpayers' cash being returned if the ships were late, failed to meet specifications or if the shipbuilder went bust.
The committee probe was prompted by a report from Auditor General Stephen Boyle, who questioned a lack of documentary evidence for the decision to move ahead with the contract.
Opposition parties have suggested the contract was rushed to allow for an announcement to be made at the SNP conference in 2015, but in his evidence, Mr Mackay rubbished that claim.
He said he would “take my share of responsibility” and acknowledged “there are multiple failings”.
However, he added, “I don’t think it all rests on me."
“I’m taking my share of responsibility – I was the lead minister.”
A BBC investigation last month also found that Ferguson Marine had been given sight of a more-than 400-page document detailing the required specifications for the ships before their bid was made.
The investigation also found parts of the document had been copied into the Ferguson Marine bid.
The revelations led to the Scottish Tories calling for the police to be called in, but the First Minister said in an appearance before Holyrood committee conveners, last month, that she does not see any evidence of criminality and it is not her job to determine if there was.
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