Tynwald has voted overwhelmingly to finance the building of the new ferry terminal in Liverpool.

Members agreed a budget of no more than £26.8m for the ferry terminal, bringing the total cost to taxpayers of more than £38m, up £6.5m since the planning application was approved three months ago. This was despite claims that members had not had all the evidence.

The extra £6.5m comprises: additional cost of £900,000 in stage one tender; £1.42m for ’Peel requirements’; £320,000 for ’Steam Packet requirements’; design development of £2.16m mainly due to piling £1m, terminal increase £350,000 and external works for dock infill £810,000; and £1.69m for ’risk register’.

Liberal Vannin leader Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) said during the debate that the £1.42m for ’Peel requirements’ included the company’s legal expenses, which she claimed the Department of Infrastructure ’did not realise’ it had to pay.

She asked: ’How can the department not know if it was a contractual obligation? And if it wasn’t [a contractual obligation] why are we paying it?’

But a DoI spokesman said: ’The extra funding approved by Tynwald relates predominantly to additional structural and construction works required to deal with the existing site as well as the quay walls, which are owned by the Mersey Dock Harbour Company.

’The tenders received were also above budget, which can be attributed to current conditions in the UK construction market.

’The government is not paying Peel Holdings an additional £1.4m - this figure relates to construction work, quay wall monitoring and other factors that must be included.

’The payment of legal fees is capped at £30,000, and relates to documents being drafted in relation to fixings being made to the quay walls and their ongoing maintenance.’

Mrs Beecroft had sought to adjourn the motion as she said reports promised in a members’ briefing had only been given to her on Tuesday morning. She was supported by Lib Vannin colleague Lawrie Hooper (Ramsey) who said that there had been ’little information’ made available to the public about why the increase of £6.5m was necessary.

He added: ’The public know nothing and it is their money.’

Tim Baker (Ayre and Michael) claimed Mrs Beecroft’s adjournment would ’stop the Liverpool service and stop this administration from delivering for the people of this island’.

Tim Crookall MLC also pointed out that the information had not been circulated and said it ’was not good enough’. But he voted to support the DoI.

Mr Harmer said: ’This is a good moment for the island... The reason why it doesn’t fit on the stick is because of all the momentous work that we have done so far and all the detail that has been involved and it has been through tremendous scrutiny.’

Only Mrs Beecroft voted against the motion.