More than £1 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent sending CalMac and CMAL staff to Turkey to oversee the construction of four new ferries, according to figures uncovered by the Scottish Conservatives.
The Cemre shipyard in Turkey is building four new vessels for CalMac, but Freedom of Information requests revealed a total of £1,016,162 has already been spent on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hire for CalMac, CMAL and Ferguson Marine staff since 2022.
CalMac have sent eight staff over to the Turkish shipyard, spending £845,981, whilst £170,181 was spent on five CMAL employees. One Ferguson Marine employee was also sent to Turkey, but the costs were covered by CMAL.
Sue Webber said that taxpayers are being left to pick up the tab for the SNP’s “ferries fiasco” which has left islanders without the vessels they need.
She added it’s a measure of how badly the SNP have mismanaged Ferguson Marine that ferries which should be built on the west coast of Scotland are instead being made in Turkey.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Transport Secretary, Sue Webber MSP, said “Taxpayers are being forced to foot yet another hefty bill as a result of the SNP’s ferries fiasco.
“After squandering half a billion pounds on the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, ministers have blown another £1 million flying staff to Turkey to keep tabs on the ferries being built there.
“Some project oversight is understandable after the huge problems with the Ferguson-built ferries – but this level of spending seems excessive.
“The SNP have betrayed islanders and taxpayers at every turn – leaving remote communities reliant on out-of-date vessels and letting costs spiral out of control for hard-pressed Scots.
“This scandal is entirely of the Nationalists’ making. But, despite years of chaos, incompetence and broken promises, not a single minister has carried the can.
“SNP ministers, who are responsible for Ferguson Marine, must finally provide the support the yard needs to compete, so that ferries can be built here in Scotland, not abroad.”
Notes
£1,016,162 has already been spent on remuneration, subsistence, accommodation, flights and car hire for CalMac, CMAL and Ferguson Marine staff working in Turkey since 2022. CalMac have sent eight staff over to the Turkish shipyard, spending £845,981, whilst £170,181 was spent on five CMAL employees. One Ferguson Marine employee was also sent to Turkey, but the costs were borne by CMAL. (Scottish Conservative FOI, Available on Request).
Cemre Marin Endustri has been awarded contracts for four CalMac vessels. In March 2022, Cemre Marin Endustri were awarded the contract to build two CalMac ferries, the MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal, worth £91 million. In February 2023, another contract for a further two vessels, MV Claymore and MV Lochmor was awarded to the Cemre shipyard, worth an additional £115 million. (CMAL, 13 January 2023, https://www.cmassets.co.uk/two-new-ferries-for-islay-reach-next-construction-milestone/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">link; CMAL, 3 February 2023, https://www.cmassets.co.uk/contract-finalised-for-two-new-ferries-for-the-little-minch/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">link; BBC News, 18 May 2023, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-65621236. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">link; BBC News, 19 December 2023, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-67759460. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">link).
The delivery date of the MV Isle of Islay has been pushed back again due to a delay in sea trials. According to CMAL, the ferry will not meet an anticipated delivery date of 30 September due to sea trials still needing to take place. (BBC News, 1 September 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czer77de2pro. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">link).