"Over 10 years ago plans to enable a phased replacement of Scotland's subsidised ferries, including for the Arran route, were drawn up. Over 6 years ago at a public meeting in Brodick we were told there would be a new ferry for the Arran route coming into service in 2018 and that it would be designed to cope with Ardrossan harbour. Now in 2021 with over £150 million already spent, we are still waiting for that ferry that is in no way designed to cope with Ardrossan.
The cross-party Scottish parliamentary Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee enquired into what has happened to Arran's ferry, and published their report in December 2020. The report identified 'catastrophic' failings by those involved including the SNP Scottish government and the publicly owned ferry procurement company. The report includes recommendations to remedy the errors made. However, in response to the report the Scottish Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Mr Wheelhouse, said in effect that the report is wrong, that the Scottish government is not at fault and that it did all it could to procure the Arran ferry.
If the Minister, Mr Wheelhouse, thinks that wasting £100s of millions of tax payers money to produce the shells of two ferries already over 3 years late is a good use of time and money, one does wonder what he is thinking about. Parliamentary committees are there to scrutinise the actions of the government, and the government is accountable to parliament. When errors are made, they must be recognised and changes made to make improvements. Otherwise further waste will result and it is our communities and economy that suffer.
I therefore move that North Ayrshire Council:
a. agrees that the Scottish Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands must accept the findings of the ferry enquiry's report, and must establish new systems of working for the future procurement of ferries that take account of the report's recommendations so as to address the failings of the current processes;
and
b. directs North Ayrshire Council's Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands informing him of the Council's opinions; reminds the Minister of the harm that is being caused to North Ayrshire's island communities due to the inadequate ferry services and asks the Minister to how he intends to address the issues raised in the report so that future ferry procurement processes are fit for purpose and produce ferries in a timely and cost effective manner."