Chamber and committees

I thank the minister for her statement, which highlighted that the estimated investment gap for nature restoration in Scotland is around £20 billion over the next decade and that Government alone cannot address that gap. As she has said, responsible private investment will be critical to that, so could she please expand on how the Scottish Government will balance the need for private investment in a way that ensures harmony with its land reform ambitions and with any aspirations that are expressed by communities?

The cabinet secretary’s letter stated:

“Our quarrel is not with the people of Russia, nor the Russian community who live and work in Scotland, but with President Putin’s regime and its deplorable actions.”

Will the cabinet secretary further reassure us about any work that is being done to provide support to Russians and Belarusians who oppose authoritarianism in their homelands, but who may be at risk of unfair treatment here in Scotland?

It was said earlier that the terrible conflict in Ukraine will impact on food security in Scotland. That was highlighted in the debate on the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday. How is the United Kingdom Government involving the Scottish Government and the other devolved Administrations in discussions and deliberations in that area?

As the MSP with probably the highest number of ferry routes in their constituency and as someone who lives on an island, I understand the shortcomings of the service only too well, and I therefore have a bigger stake in its improvements than most who are sitting in the chamber. The minister’s apology is very much appreciated.

Since May last year, there have been some quick wins. Camper vans must book, school minibuses get reduced fares and the CalMac community board has wider responsibilities. Those may seem small wins to those who do not live on an island, but they have made a difference.

As others have said, the Scottish Government has committed £580 million to fund new ferries and port investments over the next five years. On Monday, I travelled just 2 miles from the Parliament to Leith docks, where the MV Utne is currently being transformed into the MV Loch Frisa to serve the island of Mull. To respond to Mr Kerr’s intervention, the MV Coruisk’s capacity was 40 cars; the MV Utne’s capacity is 34. Passenger numbers are down, so there is a reduction, but that ferry will ply the route year round. The island made that request five years ago, and that is now coming to fruition. I think that that is a good result. It will provide a welcome addition to the route and release the MV Coruisk to other routes, as the minister has said.

In addition—this has also been talked about—there will be two new ferries for Islay. CMAL announced the preferred bidder for that contract earlier this month. The new vessels will bring an almost 40 per cent increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay route and a reduction in emissions, and they will improve the resilience of the wider fleet. The first vessel is expected to be delivered in October 2024, and it will enter service following sea trials and crew familiarisation. The second vessel will follow in early 2025.

There are further projects: the small vessel replacement programme, new vessels for the Dunoon-Gourock-Kilcreggan triangle, and other services, with the Mull consultation in early stages.

It will come as no surprise that emails about ferries top my emails and that ferries are at the top of people’s agendas in my constituency visits. It is important that I have many constituents who have ideas about how the service could be improved and who welcome the forthcoming publication of “Project Neptune” and the opportunity that that will give them to feed into the process. I ask the Minister for Transport to listen to their suggestions.

On structure, there are strong views about the split roles of CMAL and CalMac. I need to be clear that those are about the structures and not the great teams of employees of both organisations, as Stuart McMillan highlighted.

Another proposal to get us through the months until the new vessels are ready is hiring a freight boat. It has been suggested that that could be used across several routes to give different islands benefit.

In the past two weeks, I have used CalMac’s services to the islands of Bute, Gigha and Mull. I am pleased to say that all the ferries ran to schedule and that I reached my destinations on time.

If I may, I would like to drop a few pebbles into the water, which I hope the minister and her team will take account of.

On Bute, some children use the ferry as though it is a school bus service. With free bus travel for under-22s, could something similar be introduced for ferries?

Pensioners have concerns about price rises across the network, which have been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.

On both Bute and Gigha, the ferry service is not bookable. The people of both islands want to keep it that way, but they wonder whether there is a way to prioritise booking for locals who are making essential journeys, for example for hospital appointments or funerals—as has been mentioned throughout the debate—so that they can get off the island and return on the same day. When I was on Mull at the weekend, that subject was raised by constituents there, too. Over the past few months, I have also been having similar discussions with the Islay ferry group and CalMac, which led to meetings with Transport Scotland about an increase in commercial vehicles on ferries due to a projected increase in whisky production and the impact that that is having on the smaller or ad hoc freight carriers and, of course, other travellers.

That gets to the nub of the problem. With the current capacity constraints, there are different calls for space from residents who want ease of travel, commercial vehicles that serve businesses and those whose businesses depend on tourists. I am pleased that the minister has offered to look into this to see whether changes can be made. I am told that the Danish island of Samsø has an island card, which helps with a similar situation.

I also attended a joint meeting of the Coll and Tiree ferry groups, which the minister referenced. They have organised meetings with CMAL, CalMac and Transport Scotland but feel as though they are hitting a wall. Their islands have suffered over this winter, having gone for periods without a ferry. The three storms in quick succession made up the perfect storm, which was added to by the required maintenance schedule that my colleague Jackie Dunbar referred to. I quote from a recent email that I know the minister has seen:

“Our primary school on Coll has run out of heating oil and the impact on business on Tiree is now running at the rate of £1450 loss for one guest house”.

I look forward to discussing these points further with the minister.

I know that the Scottish Government recognises that ferries are an essential part of Scotland’s transport network and that the quality of our ferry services impacts on all of us. It is good news that the islands connectivity plan is being taken forward through the national transport strategy and the strategic transport projects review, which will also consider other potential options to connect our islands. Engagement and consultation on that will enable substantial public and community input. I know that my constituents are willing—and are wanting—to get involved, as this is their lifeline service.

Finally, on a positive note, if I may, Presiding Officer—

I will do. Very briefly, when I travel between my home on Islay and the Parliament, or to any of my 23 islands, I am constantly impressed by the cheerful hard work and helpful attitude of ferry crews and port staff.

In order for it to successfully win new contracts, it is important that work to increase the yard’s efficiency and competitiveness continues. Will the cabinet secretary provide an update of the steps that Ferguson’s is taking to improve its competitiveness?

The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill is the first piece of legislation that I have been involved in, and I thank the committee clerks and my fellow committee members for their hard work and dedication to this vitally important issue.

We took evidence from organisations from Shetland to Argyll and Bute, and from Zero Waste Scotland to the Scottish Food Coalition. That evidence will support a bill that will take Scotland further along the road to becoming a good food nation by creating a national plan and requiring plans to be created by public bodies. As Jayne Jones of Argyll and Bute Council said,

“We are already on that journey—we are not at the very beginning of it. We need to recognise the progress that we have already made, but the good food nation agenda gives us the opportunity to do more.”—[Official Report, Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee, 9 February 2022; c 43.]

Food and cuisine are important to me. My culinary journey has been a bit of a winding road. I went from turning down good Scottish puddings covered in custard at school to looking forward to them when at a freezing filming location, and from only eating haddock smothered in ketchup as a child to enjoying fish of every variety as my top food choice. Personally, I am pleased that the Scottish Government has the vision of Scotland being a good food nation where it is normal for Scots to love their food and know what constitutes good food.

We took evidence from Robin Gourlay, who helped to develop “Recipe for Success” when he was at East Ayrshire Council. He said:

“If you look at the work of Scotland Food & Drink, other industry bodies, our colleagues working in health and those working in climate, you see that there is a consensus to do something better with food.”—[Official Report, Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee, 19 January 2022; c 6.]

There is also a consensus that those who serve and sell food—from schools to hospitals, and from retailers to restaurants—should serve and sell the best. One of my staff members recalls with pleasure the lunches that he and his friends enjoyed when Dunoon grammar school upped its game and began to provide food that was both nutritious and delicious. He reflects on how the meals were especially important to youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Scottish Government invested £5 million in food education projects between 2010 and 2017. There we see public policy improving the lives and health of vulnerable individuals. That is the next part of the vision for Scotland as a good food nation: that everyone in Scotland has easy access to the healthy and nutritious food that they need.

Food not only feeds the body but enriches our lives in other ways. It is a way of bringing people together, from Burns suppers to the food that is served at Sikh gurdwaras. However, for all too many children, home cooking is a ready meal served in front of the television.

I will not.

Serving attractive food in schools and other institutions will allow us to offer many more people the opportunity of eating together and sharing food, united by the joy of good food.

Through good food nation plans, the connection between food and health will help to reduce diet-related diseases and support people who have long-term conditions. Two weeks ago, I visited the recently opened dialysis unit in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, where I met a patient who receives dialysis three times a week. Until the unit opened, he had to travel to Inverclyde. He told me about the difference that having his dialysis close to home has made: he has time to prepare his evening meal so that it is ready when he returns from his treatment and he does not have to eat a microwaved meal. He is eating healthier food and he is happier.

In evidence, the committee heard stark figures from Iain Gulland, of Zero Waste Scotland, on food’s environmental impact. An area larger than China is used to grow food that is never eaten; 1 billion hungry people in the world could be fed on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe; and, in hospitality and food services in Scotland, the equivalent of 106 million meals—that is one in every six meals—is discarded every year.

Iain Gulland concluded by saying that Scottish households need support to end food waste and recycle as much as possible. Wasting food is wasting water, energy and resources. The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill should be an enabler for such support.

Scottish producers ensure that what they produce is increasingly healthy and environmentally sound. Professor Mary Brennan of the Scottish Food Coalition told the committee:

“A good food nation produces food that does as little harm as possible to the environment. It produces and consumes food that is produced to the highest welfare and wellbeing standards. It looks after its natural resources: the animals, fish, watercourses and marine environments that are central to our existence.”—[Official Report, Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee, 19 January 2022; c 8.]

Shopping for tempting food can and should be an enjoyable experience, but it becomes a misery for people if most of what they can see is too expensive and they and their loved ones must do without. However, minimum wage levels, the cost of heating homes and the increase in national insurance are subjects for different debates. Today, we can continue to put Scotland on a course that will make school meals, hospital meals and all foods that are served by public bodies support the health and wellbeing of our nation.

Serving the right food can improve our communities and our environment. Sourcing local ingredients sustainably supports local economies, cuts food miles and helps us on the road to net zero carbon emissions—and, in this complex and turbulent time in world history, increasing food self-sufficiency makes strategic sense.

If we are to do all of that, we need to support Scottish producers in ways that enable them to provide quality ingredients at prices that people can afford. And what producers we have! In my constituency, we have small and medium-sized enterprises that are coffee roasters; tea growers; dairy, beef and lamb farmers; ice cream producers; vegan cheese makers; and fish and shellfish fishers. That is not to forget the folk with gardens and allotments who grow their own fruit and veg.

Professor Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, provided a statement to the committee by video. He said:

“Covid-19 has laid bare the inequalities and underlying issues in every country’s food system. In this context, your good food nation bill is a timely and exemplary response to address deep-rooted challenges.”

I support the motion.

As the minister said, it is clearly disappointing that the yard did not progress to the invitation-to-tender stage of the Islay ferry procurement last year. Does he share my view that, given the noise that the Tories have previously made about the ferry fleet, and given the benefits that the new vessels will bring to islanders and the economy, their questions seem disingenuous?

As the cabinet secretary has said, there is a need to balance environmental, economic and social interests when it comes to fishing. How will the policy do that? In particular, how will it reassure coastal communities that fishing is valued and has a viable future in spite of all the impacts of Brexit?