Keith Brown accused of ‘unsatisfactory and evasive’ answers in ferry probe

Justice Secretary Keith Brown has been accused of providing “unsatisfactory and evasive” answers to a parliamentary committee looking into the Ferguson Marine ferries.

The ships are estimated to be three times over budget and will be delivered around five years later than planned from the scandal-hit, publicly owned shipyard in Port Glasgow.

Mr Brown was acting as Transport Secretary in 2015, when the contract for the Glen Sannox and as-yet-unnamed hull 802 was signed, but it was former transport minister Derek Mackay who gave the go ahead for Ferguson to be named as preferred bidder.

A letter from Public Audit Committee convener Richard Leonard last month expressed disappointment at the lack of detail provided by Mr Brown in an earlier exchange, with the Justice Secretary saying he has nothing further to add to his submission.

Mr Brown was asked specifically about what he was told by Mr Mackay about concerns around offering the contract to the yard.

In a new letter to the Justice Secretary, Mr Leonard said the response was “both unsatisfactory and evasive”, adding that he had failed to answer the specific question.

“The committee is extremely disappointed by your failure, once again, to provide sufficient answers to the questions we sought to help inform our scrutiny despite our best efforts,” he added.

“Your unwillingness to engage constructively with the committee is disrespectful to both the committee and the Parliament.”

Mr Leonard’s letter then quoted sections of the ministerial code which states ministers “have a duty to the Parliament to account, and be held to account, for the policies, decisions and actions taken within their field of responsibility”.

“We now find ourselves in the regrettable position of questioning whether these requirements have been followed in this case,” he added.

“The committee is now turning its attention to producing a report of our scrutiny, which will be published in the coming months.

“I expect we will wish to consider in this report the level of engagement we have had with Scottish ministers and stakeholders during the course of our work, and how this is reflected in our conclusions and recommendations.”

Mr Leonard said the committee would consider any evidence from Mr Brown that was forthcoming, setting a deadline of January 6.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Mr Brown has already been very clear that he has provided the committee with all information and documentation on this matter that he is aware of. He will respond to the letter in due course.”