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All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Do you think that he answers the questions that the committee put to him?
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Okay. Well—
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Okay. However, we got that letter only because it was provided to us by Stuart McMillan.
I will ask another question on the issue of transparency. When we took evidence from Audit Scotland back in April, Gill Miller said:
“We asked Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government for all documentation relating to the minister’s decision, but we did not receive any.”—[Official Report, Public Audit Committee, 21 April 2022; c 28.]
Is that in keeping with the standard that you set out in the foreword to the ministerial code?
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
I appreciate your undertaking to listen to any requests that we have for further information to be put in the public domain.
You mentioned the missing documents and so on. However, the position of Audit Scotland remains clear. It says that the email that was unearthed that covers the exchanges on 8 and 9 October 2015 confirms that ministers approved the award of the FMEL contract. Audit Scotland’s position is that
“there remains insufficient documentary evidence to explain why the decision was made to proceed with the contract, given the significant risks and concerns raised by CMAL.
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Okay. The committee will consider its next steps after today.
I will move on to something else. Another response that we received recently—in fact, just last week, so it therefore arrived a week late—was from Transport Scotland. In the covering letter, Michelle Quinn, the chief executive officer of Transport Scotland, said that the organisation has a “commitment to absolute transparency”.
However, the correspondence that Transport Scotland shared with us was an incomplete, censored version of Derek Mackay’s letter of 2 February 2015 to Stuart McMillan. It was not even redacted; it was cut. Was that done to mislead? I do not know. Do you think that that is an acceptable way for a Government organisation to act?
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Which ones did go to Cabinet?
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Yes.
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Is that a yes?
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
Yes—it is at annex D.
Public Audit Committee
Section 23 Report: “New vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802”
Meeting date: 4 November 2022
Richard Leonard
I am sorry, but we are up against the clock a little bit.
To reflect on those exchanges, First Minister, are you prepared to put on record the communications briefing that you received regarding the 31 August announcement and any related emails or correspondence?
10:45