STATE-OWNED ferry procurement company Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has dismissed claims they were "amateur" in the way they oversaw the process that led to the nation's ferry fiasco.
CMAL has hit out at incorrect statements over how they have operated, some of which was referred to as "mischief-making" as MSPs continued an inquiry over the future of the nation's beleaguered ferry services.
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Glen Sannox and Hull 802 were due online in the first half of 2018 when Ferguson Marine was under the control of tycoon Jim McColl, with one initially to serve Arran and the other to serve the Skye triangle routes to North Uist and Harris, but they are at least five years late. The last estimates suggested the costs of delivery had more than quadrupled from the original £97m cost.
CMAL were questioned about radical plans being examined to scrap the Scottish Government-controlled ferry operators and owners CalMac and to form one new organisation which would cut costs and improve the failing lifeline services.
The proposal to merge the ferry owners and operators - who between them employ over 1700 staff - into one organisation has come as a result of an investigation sanctioned by ministers into the structure that underpins Scotland's failing west coast services.
The Project Neptune probe issued scathing criticisms of the existing governance structure for the lifeline island ferry services.
Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of CMAL said there were "pros and cons" to a merger but then wen on to dismiss the idead that the two state-owned ferry firms do not work closely together.
"To say that we're disjointed in the way that some people have said it is totally incorrect. And maybe one could even say it's mischief making. So you know we haven't got a problem with merging, but equally, I've worked for many, many years in integrated ferry companies.
READ MORE: Ferguson Marine: Ferry firm sanctioned twice over financial fails
"And what tends to happen is if there is a crisis, everybody gets sucked into the middle to deal with that crisis. One of the unique things about CMAL is we don't get involved in the day to day operations. So we can 100% concentrate on strategy and the asset base and the such like so, you know, we see our position, currently being quite positive."
He added: "Don't get me wrong. Is is what we have today absolutely perfect. No. Can improvements be made? Have improvements be made? The answer to that is yes. Maybe we aren't as joined up as maybe we ought to be."
Earlier Morag McNeill, the lawyer chairman of CMAL said she wanted to correct a number of incorrect statements made to the inquiry.
"The CMAL team comprises experts in the appropriate disciplines and the team has all of the skills and competencies required within the business to support the existing and future ports and vessels," she said.
"Our senior professionals all worked in the private sector for many years prior to joining CMAL and bring vast experience to the business and to Scotland. We are neither a quango nor a group of amateurs.
"A small number of witnesses to these hearings have chosen to over-simplify the complexity of the decision making process without in our view having necessary knowledge and experience."
Mr Hobbs was tackled by the net zero, energy and transport committee convener Edward Mountain over a 2020 inquiry that said there should be a "root and branch overhaul" of ferry contract awards saying the procurement of the two long-delayed ferries was a "catastrophic failure".
It raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Scottish Government-controlled tripartite agreement delivering ferries, involving ferry operators CalMac, CMAL and the funders Transport Scotland.
A committee of MSP said there had been a “lack of robust due diligence” on the part of CMAL in assessing the financial stability of the vessel delivery contractor, Ferguson Marine.
Mr Mountain told Mr Hobbs: "You basically feel the system works fairly well. You will will have read the construction and procurement of ferry vessels in Scotland report which I guess you agreed with in principal did you?"
Mr Hobbs said: "Yes."
Mr Mountain added: "Okay, so I'm now confused by your answer then.
"So what the committee said is that it was a cluttered decision making process, lacks transparency with varying degrees of failure. CMAL failed to discharge their respective responsibility effectively, the experience of the [ferries] contracts exposed serious failures in the tripartite agreement and therefore needs root and branch overhaul.
"So basically what the committee said was CMAL failed but in the way forward, you're saying it's fine, there's no problem, let's just crack on. Is that what you're saying? Because if that is what you're saying, I'm seriously concerned for ferry procurement in Scotland."
Mr Hobbs replied: "What we're actually saying is ultimately, we are improving things day by day, and we will continue to do so. Looking back in history, was it perfect? No, it wasn't. Any report that comes out, you know, we look at it there are lessons learned and we improve. And that's what any business ought to do."
READ MORE: Ferguson Marine: Ferry firm faces being dissolved over finance fails
But Mr Mountain told him that "creeping forward" was not what the previous inquiry recommended.
Mr Hobbs said: "We're not making creeping changes. Those are your words, not mine."
Mr Mountain asked: "Well, are they root and branch. Root and branch suggests a massive change."
Mr Hobbs said: "Well obviously massive change hasn't happened."
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