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Good morning, gentlemen. Mr Tydeman, when we visited the yard, you kindly gave us a tour and a briefing. We also got a briefing from some of the trade unionists and some of the front-line staff who have been there for a considerable time. One of the issues that you identified was a potential cash-flow issue as you were bringing in potential new work. You said that you would make a cash call to the Scottish Government. Will you give us an updated snapshot of the yard’s cash-flow position and whether you expect to make any further cash calls to the Scottish Government for the yard rather than the vessels?

Good. When we spoke to some of the staff, they reflected negatively on the period prior to your appointment. The impression was given of a gravy train—I will not try to find the maritime equivalent of that—running through the yard, with people on big salaries and, potentially, big bonuses coming in and not necessarily contributing to the yard’s health and wellbeing. Can you say, hand on heart, that that gravy train culture has come to an end?

Mr Irwin, the Auditor General’s section 22 report said that the size of the bonus payments that were made in 2021-22 and 2022-23 was unacceptable. Do you recognise that comment? In what way was it unacceptable?

I want to draw your attention to what the First Minister said on 27 April in response to my colleague Douglas Ross. He said that

“those bonuses should not have been paid.”

He agreed with Douglas Ross on that and said:

“I have made it clear that bonuses should not be paid in relation to vessels 801 and 802.”

He went on to say:

“It is my expectation and the Government’s expectation—the chair of Ferguson Marine knows this very well—that there should not be bonuses in the current financial year, 2023-24, in relation to vessels 801 and 802.”—[Official Report, 27 April 2023; c 11-12.]

Was the First Minister forcing your hand and asking you to break employment contracts?

Perhaps Mr Irwin would like to come in on that briefly.

That is fine. When would ministers have been made aware of the fact that these bonus packages were in place and that bonuses were paid in the two years that were identified?

Thank you very much.

Mr Tydeman, forgive me for focusing on your individual position, but we are talking about taxpayers’ money. I noted from a response to a freedom of information request that was made on 20 January 2022 that your salary was £205,000 and that your predecessor’s salary was in the order of £790,000. Referring back to the issue of the gravy train, it is reassuring that things have perhaps been reined in.

However, what the yard would not co-operate on in relation to that FOI request was information on any bonus or performance-related payments for you personally. I noted that, earlier this year, you said that Ferguson Marine had already instituted greater transparency in governance in relation to other issues. On the basis of transparency and good governance, are you able to tell the committee what your personal bonus and performance-related payments have been and might be in the future—if you hit any of your personal KPIs?

I accept that.

So there are no concerns about cash flow at the moment.