At Holyrood’s Transport Committee on 30 September 2026, Graham Simpson MSP questioned Transport Scotland chief executive Alison Irvine over plans to award four vessels directly to Ferguson Marine.
Ms Irvine confirmed that a direct award would not be legal under current law, but that Transport Scotland was working towards a position where it could be made legally.
Her evidence raises serious questions over the Scottish Government’s pledge to award the contracts to the Port Glasgow shipyard and whether that promise can be delivered.