Nicola Sturgeon said “the buck stops with me” over the delays and cost overrun of ferries from Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow.

The First Minister was challenged by Conservative leader Douglas Ross over the Audit Scotland report into the procurement of the vessels by the Scottish Government.

Ross asked who the minister responsible was for signing off the contracts.

Sturgeon said the transport minister at the time was Derek Mackay.

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She added: “This is a government that operates under collective responsibility. Responsibility stopes with me.”

Ross said that the “SNP spin machine had spun into action” to say it “is the fault of a disgraced ex minister.

He said the First Minister was trying to blame Mackay adding: “Its convenient the person getting the blame is no longer here.”

He asked what input the First Minister had in the process through the government she leads.

Sturgeon hit back stating: “I’m not sure Douglas Ross has listened to a word I said. It is a matter of record that Derek Mackay was the transport minister at the time. But I’m going to repeat what I said.

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“This is a government that operates under collective responsibility. The buck stops with me. I’m ultimately responsible.”

Sturgeon said the Audit Scotland report was “entirely fair and justified”.

She said: “Problems with the construction of these ferries, delay and cost overrun and the negative impact on island communities is far from satisfactory.”