Liverpool ferry terminal dispute escalates in House of Keys as minister refuses to publish final cost

Infrastructure minister says legal advice prevents disclosure of the final cost, as an MHK claims the overall price tag exceeds £100 million 

A row has broken out in the House of Keys over the final cost of the Liverpool ferry terminal, after the infrastructure minister again declined to publish the total figure, citing ongoing legal considerations.

Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper pressed the issue during questions, asking what the final price tag of the long-delayed project would be.

In response, Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said the Department of Infrastructure had now concluded the construction contract with the main contractor and that the main account for the project had been closed.

However, he said the Department was still unable to release the final overall cost due to an unresolved dispute between the Department and delivery teams. That dispute is being handled with the support of legal advisers, and the minister said publishing the figure at this stage would compromise the Department’s position.

"I am very aware that the public is keen to understand the total cost of the Liverpool ferry terminal project, but having taken legal advice, I cannot publish the figure, and doing so would compromise our position", Mr Crookall said.

The minister confirmed that the project’s approved funding of £70,676,000, alongside a further £2.12 million from the capital inflation fund, had now been fully exhausted.

He added that a supplementary vote would be sought from Tynwald at a later date to secure additional funding needed to close out the project.

Mr Hooper said he already knew the final figure, having previously served as a political member of the Department of Infrastructure. He warned that he would disclose the cost publicly - using parliamentary privilege - if the minister continued to withhold the information.

In response, Mr Crookall doubled down on his refusal to release the figure and advised Mr Hooper against disclosing it himself.

Mr Hooper then told the House he understood the final overall cost of the ferry terminal to be “north of £100 million”.

Despite repeated challenges, the minister declined to provide any further detail on the total cost, though he confirmed that the ongoing legal process is aimed at recovering money already spent.

The Liverpool ferry terminal opened to passengers in June 2024 after a series of delays.

When the project was first proposed in 2015, it was expected to cost around £18 million.

That estimate later rose sharply, with Tynwald ultimately approving a budget of £70.6 million, driven by difficult geological site conditions, Covid-19 disruption, and rising construction material costs.