Official Report 440KB pdf
I had hoped under this item to identify issues that we raised with the minister during today's evidence but, following clarification of the timeframes, it is clear that we have time to wait until next week to finalise doing that. I suggest to members, particularly to the reporters, that it would be useful to defer doing so, as that would give us an opportunity to reflect on the evidence that we have received today. However, I ask members to indicate by e-mail issues that they want to draw out in any letter that we send to the Executive on the trunk road contracts. The clerks might be able to provide an initial draft of a submission from the committee to the Executive, which we could discuss as an agenda item at next week's meeting and supplement. Are members content with that approach?
Ordinarily I would be, but I have a constituency engagement next Tuesday, so I am unable to be here. That is the way the cookie crumbles. I thought that the response to the winter maintenance point that I raised was encouraging and I hope that the committee will welcome the statements from the minister today that the specification will be increased and make that view known to the minister. Perhaps members will recommend that the minister informs the committee once the tender specification is provisionally set so that we can have another look at it to see how some of the difficult matters of definition and the precise wording of the contract are resolved before they are enshrined in the tender documentation. I am sorry to concentrate on that one aspect, which I raised today; I am conscious that members raised many other aspects, but if it served no other purpose, the inquiry was useful in ventilating that point, which is of great concern to many people throughout Scotland, in particular those in the areas of most severe weather, such as the Highlands.
Absolutely. I am sure that whatever we submit to the Executive will reflect the importance of winter maintenance. I take it from the way in which members were questioning the minister that they agree that the development was welcome. If Fergus Ewing has any other observations, he should put them to the clerks and we will ensure that they are discussed next week. If they are sensible and forward-looking suggestions, they will be taken on board.
Meeting continued in private until 18:59.
Previous
Ferry Services (Clyde and Hebrides)