Transport Scotland - ferry cancellation, construction and cost queries: FOI release

Information requested

1 - What is the current total projected cost to complete and deliver both the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa? Please provide a full breakdown of all costs incurred since the original contract was awarded in 2015.

2 - What was the original contract value for each vessel, and what is the current total expenditure (including all additional payments, contract variations, and costs arising from nationalisation) as of the date of this request?

3 - What is the current expected delivery date for the MV Glen Rosa, and what is the latest confirmed position regarding when it is expected to enter passenger service?

4 - How many CalMac ferry sailings were cancelled due to technical or mechanical faults in each year from 2015 to 2025? Please break this down by year and, where possible, by individual route.

5 - What total amount has been paid out in compensation, refunds, or other forms of support to passengers and businesses affected by ferry cancellations and disruptions since 1 January 2015? Please break this down by year where possible.

6 - Has the Scottish Government or Transport Scotland published any reports, reviews, audits, or statements setting out lessons learned from the ferry procurement and construction process?

Please answer YES OR NO.

If yes, please provide copies or links to those documents.

7 - Has the Scottish Government conducted any assessment of the economic and social impact of the ferry disruptions on island and coastal communities since 2015?

Please answer YES OR NO.

If yes, please provide a summary of the main findings.

Response

Question 1-
Under section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy. I have detailed below where you can find the information for this request:

• Cost to complete MV Glen Rosa – Ferguson Marine (FMPG) Interim Update: Glen Rosa, January 2026 | Scottish Parliament Website
• Warranty budget for MV Glen Sannox – nzet-letter-31st-may-2024.pdf
• Post-completion budget for MV Glen Sannox – Scotland’s Budget Documents: The 2024-25 Spring Budget Revision
• Costs prior to nationalisation, including the Scottish Government loan of £45 million to FMEL prior to administration and £83.3 million contract payments made by CMAL before nationalisation – Ferguson Marine: background to the company being taken into public ownership - gov.scot & Ferguson Marine: costs associated with the completion of vessels 801 and 802 - gov.scot
• The total cost of MV Glen Sannox at the handover date was c£151 million, this excludes any post-completion and warranty works. The cost was £1.9 million higher than the forecasted cost to complete reported to NZET Committee (£149.1 million) due to delays – Ferguson Marine - Interim update | Scottish Parliament Website

Question 2 -
Under section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy. I have detailed below where you can find the information for this request:

• Original contract value for the two vessels – Ferguson Marine: background to the company being taken into public ownership - gov.scot

Since the nationalisation of Fergusons, the Scottish Government has to date provided £154 million for Glen Sannox (compromising of vessel construction, post-completion contracted works and warranty activities) and £176 million for Glen Rosa.

Question 3 -
Under section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy. I have detailed below where you can find the information for this request:

• MV Glen Rosa current expected delivery date – Ferguson Marine (FMPG) Quarterly Update December 2025 | Scottish Parliament Website
• Regarding the vessels entry to passenger service, it will first be delivered and officially transferred to its owners, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) they will then provide a window of opportunity to the vessel operators CalMac for operational readiness, including annual recertification activities. This same process was followed with MV Glen Sannox – Interim update on MV Glen Sannox November 2024 | Scottish Parliament Website

Question 4 -
The information requested for when cancellations are a result of technical issues are shown in table 1 in Annex A. For any period not covered by, relating to CHFS3, information is available from CalMac Ferries Ltd website at the following link: Regional Performance | Performance | Corporate CalMac.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

Question 5 -
This information is no longer routinely held by Transport Scotland. However, in the past it was required for other purposes and the information held is, therefore, set out in table 2 in Annex A. For the information not held by Transport Scotland, this may be obtained direct from CalMac Ferries Ltd. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

Question 6 -
Under section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. A published EIR release on the procurement process is available at the following link: Hulls 801 and 802 - procurement process, reviews undertaken: EIR release - gov.scot. A published FOI release on procurement documented evidence referring to lessons learned is available at the following link: Ferries Procurement documented evidence: FOI release - gov.scot. Audit Scotland have published a report into the arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802 including lessons learned which is available at the following link: New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides | Audit Scotland. All documents relating to Ferguson Marine, procurement and construction progress is available at the following link: Ferguson Marine: documents - gov.scot.

Audit Scotland are also carrying out an audit to assess: 'Since 2022, how well have the Scottish Government and its partners responded to the challenges in delivering the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa and is there evidence that they have learnt lessons'. The report is planned to be published after the handover of the MV Glen Rosa. More information on this audit is available at the following link: Delivery of MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa - Audit scope | Audit Scotland

Question 7 -
The Scottish Government has carried out the following impact assessments which was completed in relation to the Island Business Resilience Fund. Under section 25(1) of FOISA we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the websites listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy. I have detailed below where you can find the information for this request:

• Island business resilience fund: island communities impact assessment (December 2025) - gov.scot
• Island Business Resilience Fund: Island Communities Impact Assessment - 2025

Section 4 (assessment) of each of the assessments provide a summary of economic and social impact of the ferry disruptions on island and coastal communities.

About FOI

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

FOI 202600519021 - Information Released - Annex A

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