Funds provided to Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Ferguson Marine: FOI release

Information requested

1. What funds were provided by CMAL under the contract for 801 and 802 prior to administration?

2. What loans were provided by Scottish Ministers (SM) prior to administration including the £30m and £15m?

3. What funds were provided by SM during administration?

4. What funds have been provided by SM since nationalisation?

5. Are all funds provided by SM to the holding company ie Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Limited (FMH), in the first instance?

6. Are any funds provided directly to any subsidiary of FMH?

7. Are any funds provided by banking arrangements in effect guaranteed by SM?

8. What funds are estimated to be required in the future for the completion of 801 and 802?

9. What are the estimated future funds to be provided by SM for the running costs of the FMH group of companies but not directly relating to the construction of the two vessels up to end of fiscal year 2023/4?

10. What funds are required to make the ports involved suitable for handling the two vessels?

11. What funds are required to set up the necessary storage facilities for the special LNG involved?

Response

1. Prior to public ownership, CMAL paid a total of £83.25m split between £82.5m contract milestone payments and an additional contract variation of £0.75m to FMEL.

2. The information you requested is available, or accessible, from public websites and under section 25 (1) of FOISA we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Details on the loans provided by Scottish Ministers to Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited are detailed on the Scottish Government website – Ferguson Marine: background to the company being taken into public ownership -gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

3. The information you requested is available, or accessible, from public websites and under section 25 (1) of FOISA we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Details on the funds provided by Scottish Ministers during the administration are detailed in a previous FOI response on the Scottish Government website – Purchase of the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow (Company): FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

4. The information you requested is available, or accessible, from public websites and under section 25 (1) of FOISA we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you.

Details on the funds provided by Scottish Ministers to Ferguson Marine are contained within the yards accounts at Companies House and detailed on the Scottish Government website each month.

The accounts for Ferguson Marine (801 – 802) Limited can be found at Companies House – FERGUSON MARINE (801- 802) LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk)

The Scottish Government proactively publish progress updates. Within the Ministerial update report there is a section on financial reporting which states the spend to date each month. The report are published on the Scottish Government website monthly – Ferguson Marine: key documents - 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

5. No funds are provided to the Holding Company.

6. Yes funds to build 801/802 are provided to a subsidiary company of Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Holdings Limited.

7. All funding for the build of 801 and 802 is paid through a payment application process from Scottish Ministers to Ferguson Marine, there are no banking arrangements in place.

8. The Scottish Government has not agreed to an increase in funding for Ferguson Marine since the 23 March 2022 letter to MSP’s setting out delivery costs. A copy of the letter can be found on the Scottish Government website – Ferguson Marine: costs associated with the completion of vessels 801 and 802 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

On 28 September 2022, the FMPG CEO wrote to the Scottish Parliament to set out the additional funding required for completion of vessels 801 and 802. A copy of the letter can be found on the Parliament website – Ferguson Marine - Quarterly update on the progress of Hulls 801 and 802 | Scottish Parliament Website

Following the letter from the CEO to the Scottish Parliament, our priority has been to undertake our own due diligence and this is being supported by external, independent financial advisors to ensure that a rigorous approach is taken to scrutinising this request for additional funding. If additional funding is appropriate then a request to amend the 2021-22 budget would be submitted to Parliament in the usual manner, allowing MSPs the chance to scrutinise this as part of the existing annual budget process.

The Scottish Government’s priorities remain to secure a sustainable future for the yard and its workforce and supporting our island communities that rely on this type of vessel on a daily basis.

9. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Please see answer to question 8 above for the current position relating to the costs associated with Ferguson Marine and the vessels under construction there.

10. The information you requested is available, or accessible, from public websites and under section 25 (1) of FOISA we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. The Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) outlines the funding for projects to support the delivery of 801/802 from the £580m as announced in February 2021. The information can be found on the Scottish Government website – Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-2022 to 2025-2026: programme pipeline update - September 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

11. The information you requested is available, or accessible, from public websites and under section 25 (1) of FOISA we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. The installation of the LNG infrastructure and funding is linked to the completion of all civil engineering works associated with the ports of Uig and Ardrossan and project programmes; aligned to the IIP Plan.

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.