Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow): written authority - December 2024

Introduction

This publication provides correspondence between the Director General (DG) for Economy and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic in relation to the continuation of the written authority for Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) in May 2023. Alongside the relevant background for the written authority.

A written authority is provided to Accountable Officers by Ministers in circumstances when delivering an action is inconsistent with the Accountable Officer’s Duties and a ministerial direction on the specific action is required to continue.

Background

In line with Accountable Officer (AO) duties set out in the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000, section 15, the Accountable Officer has a duty to meet the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money. After scrutinising and interrogating the projected costs provided by FMPG and assessing these against the other options, the value for money standard was not met in respect of Glen Rosa.

Therefore on the 17th December 2024 the Accountable Officer for DG Economy wrote to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic requesting that the previous written authority provided by Neil Gray on 14 May 2023 in which written authority was given to progress with Glen Rosa based on the Accountable Officer’s previous AO assessment, is continued.

Details

Date of written authority: 19/12/24
Portfolio: Director General for Economy
Accountable Officer: Gregor Irwin
Minister: Kate Forbes