More funding is urgently required for the troubled Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde to ensure continuity of work, according a cross-party group of MSPs.
A report from the Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee noted that the state-owned yard does not have any orders lined up after its contract to deliver the Glen Rosa ferry, which compounds the concern” about its future.
The yard recently missed out on a £175m contract to build seven ferries for operator CalMac.
The committee found “multiple and repeated failings” in the management of the yard, including leadership and board instability, inadequate internal audit, serious weaknesses in contractor oversight and governance failures around exit packages for senior staff.
It said these issues combined with cost overruns associated with the building of two ferries, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, had caused “significant reputational damage to the yard”. Glen Rosa is now due to be delivered in early 2026.
Committee convener Richard Leonard said: “It is clear to the public audit committee that there has been a long-standing weakness in the management, governance and financial sustainability of this yard.
“That there are currently no further orders raises significant concerns for us about the future of the last commercial shipyard on the Clyde and its workforce.
“This is a state-owned yard and the Scottish Government must do more to ensure that not only is its future secure, but that the MV Glen Rosa can be delivered as soon as possible. There has to be better oversight and governance of the work that is ongoing.”
He added: “There is no doubt that the yard has suffered significant reputational damage and that the workers at Ferguson Marine deserve better, the communities waiting for a new ferry deserve better and the people of Scotland deserve better.”
The yard was nationalised in 2019 after being placed into administration, and employs more than 400 people.
The committee urged the Scottish Government and Ferguson marine to finalise and publish a credible long-term business plan to secure sustainable work; invest in modernisation to make the yard more competitive; strengthen governance structures and ensure future funding and investment decisions are be subject to rigorous value-for-money tests and proper approval.
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