A TORY MSP has claimed that a Scottish Government minister told him 'untruths' over the fate of the two trouble-hit Ferguson Marine ferries. 

Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday, Edward Mountain said Ivan McKee had told him parliament in September that vessels 801 and 802 would be finished by their revised completion date target of May 2023, and would come in at the budget of £123 million.

READ MORE: Minister says island harbours will be ready to take delayed ferries 

“We continue to press the shipyard to continue to progress to completion of the vessels within this timeframe and within budget,” the SNP MSP added.

However, Mr Mountain said briefing notes prepared for the minister by civil servants, released to him under Freedom of Information, showed that Mr Mckee must have known at the time that this would not be likely. 

Just three weeks after Mr McKee's assurances to MSPs Ferguson Marine announced a further delay, with hull 802 now not expected to enter service until 2024.

And yesterday it emerged that nearly £160m of public money bailouts been set aside in budgets for the ferries.

READ MORE:£160m in three years of a ferry fiasco bailout - and more could come

Raising a point of order, Mr Mountain said: "Last year, the Minister for Business, Trade, tourism and enterprise, Ivan McKee assured this parliament that the budget and completion timescales for vessels 801 and 802 were on target. 

"Now, I visited the shipyard just four days prior to asking that question, and met with the chief executive. He was clear the budget would be exceeded, and that 802 would not be delivered on time. 

"I have the notes of my visits available should these be required.

"Ivan McKee's answers to my topical questions baffled me, as it appeared that it was more than a political non-answer, which we can often expect.

"Subsequent FOIs reveal email exchanges between CMAL and Ferguson Marine showing that they both knew of the problems prior to my questions being asked.

"So that begs the question, was the minister aware before he answered my topical question, that there were indeed further delays and expenses relating to hulls 801 and 802? 

"Through an FOI, I obtained Ivan McKee's briefing notes that were prepared by staff in order to allow him to answer my questions. I can only assume he read those. And it was clear in those briefing notes that he was aware of the delay to 801, 802 and the extension to the cost of the budget."

The Herald:

Mr Mountain said he understood that the parliament's rules meant it was "disrespectful and unacceptable to suggest somebody has lied."

READ MORE: New Ferguson Marine recruit with key role in completing fiasco ferries

However, he said the briefing notes showed that Mr McKee's answer was "at best misrepresentation of the facts or worse, plainly untruthful." 

He asked Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone for guidance on "how members of this Parliament can hold the government to account if it takes numerous FOIs to prove that a minister has clearly been economical with the truth."

The Presiding Officer said there were "many avenues that exist for members to pursue one another on issues where they are dissatisfied with a response."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Edward Mountain’s point of order is incorrect. The Topical Question he referred to was answered by the Business Minister on 6 September 2022 - and not 6 December 2022 as Mr Mountain advised Parliament.

“The answer Mr McKee gave to Parliament was correct - the target completion date for Hull 801 remained the end of May 2023 and for Hull 802 the end of December 2023.

"The budget for completion of both vessels on 6 September was £123 million and no additional funding request had been made to the Scottish Government.

“Mr McKee is writing to Mr Mountain to suggest he may wish to withdraw his point of order.”