The next item of business is First Minister's questions.

At question number one, I call Douglas Ross.

This morning, Scotland's Auditor General Stephen Boyle said this to the Parliament's Public Audit Committee about the £300 million estimate

the SMP say it will cost to build two ferries. This is a direct quote from the

Auditor General. It would be folly to suggest that it is a reliable figure that will

be spent to deliver the vessels at this stage. So will the First Minister continue to

defend his government's estimate for these ferries, or does he agree with the

Auditor General? That would be folly.

What I would say, and of course I was listening to the evidence this morning, and I'll

read the rest of the evidence later on. Today, Douglas Ross will be aware, of course,

the figure that was provided to the public audit

committee on the 22nd of December last year from the CEO of Ferguson's Marine.

That is made up of a number of different factors.

The Scottish Government is now reviewing these projections based on independent advice.

That process of due diligence, which is of course

important in any procurement, of course, in any programme of this size, of this scale, but particularly

given the cost overruns, even more important in the case of Ferguson's marine. That process

of due diligence is to conclude within the next few weeks.

Regardless of that, I repeat what has been said before when this question rightly has been

raised by members of the opposition. It is unacceptable that we have had these cost overruns,

the fact that we have had the delays to both 801 and 802.

And again, once again, as first minister to island communities for those cost overruns and for those delays.

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