Thread by @petermacmahon

More evidence today on the lack of records within @scotgov and other bodies involved to explain why ministers took decisions involving substantial financial risk which resulted in a five year delay to new CalMac ferries which are currently two and a half times over budget.

.@AuditScotland @AuditorGenScot tell @SP_PublicAudit Transport Scotland 'accountable officer' - senior civil servant - would be expected to have documentary records of the risks of awarding a contact to inform ministers. @AuditScotland asked for this but "none was forthcoming".

Also @AuditScotland says there was no evidence of a "written request" from Transport Scotland or civil servants to ministers to give them formal direction to go ahead, despite @scotgov having been informed of the risk. Scottish equivalent of ministerial direction

.@LabourRichard @SP_PublicAudit convener says it looks like these documents were "hidden, missing, or did not exist"? @AuditorGenScot tells him that there was either no documentation or @AuditScotland was not provided with the documents. He says he suspects it was the former.

In an understated way @AuditorGenScot says there is "frustration" that documentary evidence of ministers decision-making was not provided, so @AuditScotland cannot say on what basis ministers made decisions at about Ferguson Marine, the yard which was eventually nationalised

.@LabourRichard says it looks from evidence to committee there was direction, but it was not formally recorded. @AuditorGenScot says that's a "fair assessment". So huge decision involving risk made @AuditScotland says made by ministers who directed civil servants but not recorded

Also worth noting that @AuditorGenScot says that non-disclosure agreements which now ex senior employees at the yard signed when they left meant that one ex-employee who wanted to give evidence to @AuditScotland on what happened could not do so. Further lack of evidence.

Looks like @SP_PublicAudit will take this inquiry further and call ministers and more senior civil servants, as @GlennBBC has already reported.

https://twitter.com/GlennBBC/status/1517064888325189633?s=20&t=EacG_u6h0qNDGSCRD5cFUg

.@SP_PublicAudit convener @LabourRichard: Given significance of issues + volume of detail in @AuditScotland report, committee will take further evidence next week with @AuditorGenScot.
"Following the completion of this evidence gathering, we will decide our next steps."

Full report of today's committee by @Martin1Williams
heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/…

And some analysis from @ProfJMitchell on ministerial direction and the ministerial code. Fascinating.

https://twitter.com/ProfJMitchell/status/1517192890404986883

Further, @scotGov tells @BBCandrewkerr a "thorough search" cannot find the paperwork @AuditorGenScot says is missing. Given the risk warning, the sums of money involved and ministerial responsibility this is pretty extraordinary.

https://twitter.com/BBCandrewkerr/status/1517253075823742978?s=20&t=9XUgGCHWbNsLgkDW4fSUlA

Which has promoted a scathing reaction from the opposition, including this from @fincarson

https://twitter.com/fincarson/status/1517397104116834305?s=20&t=9XUgGCHWbNsLgkDW4fSUlA

Statement of intent from @LabourRichard chair of @SP_PublicAudit to get to the bottom of what he calls the "ferries scandal". The committee plans to hear more evidence on this next week from @AuditScotland @AuditorGenScot

A response, via @paulhutcheon story, from @NicolaSturgeon who says it's "regrettable" the key decisions on the ferries were not recorded properly and @scotgov will "learn lessons". #ferries #CalMac

https://twitter.com/paulhutcheon/status/1517494121245593600?s=20&t=9XUgGCHWbNsLgkDW4fSUlA

Meanwhile...

https://twitter.com/BBCScotlandNews/status/1517499102229053440?s=20&t=9XUgGCHWbNsLgkDW4fSUlA