Chamber and committees

Good morning. Again, there is no need for everyone to answer every question, but I would like to know your views on how clear the bill is about the enforcement and accountability framework for the ask and act duties. Would anyone like to come in on that?

Would it be fair to say that you do not think that it is as clear as it could be?

I congratulate Jamie Greene on securing the debate, and I was pleased to sign the motion to give cross-party support to enable the debate to take place. I believe that our constituents think that it is appropriate that we debate these issues before the summer recess.

I, too, am a West Scotland list MSP, I was the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran between 2005 and 2015 and I currently work out of a regional office in Ardrossan, just a few hundred yards from the Ardrossan ferry port. I have therefore represented the islands of Cumbrae and Arran for a number of years and, like other members, I receive regular representations about the ferry service.

It is clear that the problems on the ferry routes have increased significantly in recent years, which has had a massive impact on the lives of islanders, the island economies and, indeed, island tourism. Scottish Labour research found that the number of non-weather-related cancellations trebled in just five years by 237 per cent. CalMac cancelled 1,301 sailings in 2022, which represented an increase of 44 per cent since 2018. There is no doubt about the scale of the problem. Between 2015 and 2023, 6,302 sailings were cancelled for specific technical reasons. The average age of the 37 vessels that are leased to CalMac is 24 years.

There should be consensus across the chamber that we face a significant crisis and that we have to find solutions, ideally on a cross-party basis. Last year, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee reported high levels of dissatisfaction among users. Issues that were cited included missed school hours, disrupted attendance at medical appointments, the inability to care for ill relatives and friends, cancelled holidays and a range of other problems.

All of us have received representations about things such as bare shelves in supermarkets on Arran over the festive period and representations from constituents outside Arran and Cumbrae about the impact of that on people who holiday on the islands.

The Arran route from Ardrossan is, of course, the busiest route on the network, and its future is currently under threat. The Ardrossan route has been the main route to Arran for 190 years, as it is the shortest, quickest and most convenient route, and transport and infrastructure have developed around it. Therefore, there is strong support for maintaining Ardrossan as the main port for Arran, but the poor condition of the port, particularly the Irish berth, is already causing significant problems. Peel Ports’s closure of the port means that the MV Alfred can operate only from Troon. That leaves the 40-year-old MV Isle of Arran serving the route from Ardrossan.

On the Largs to Cumbrae route, the normal vessel—the MV Loch Shira—has been out of service since April, and a succession of vessels have served the route. Construction will not start on a replacement vessel for that route until 2026. I hope that the Glen Sannox will come into service soon, because it is clear that that will have a massive impact. However, crewing levels and cabin space have still not been agreed with the relevant trade unions, and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is raising concerns. Given all the other problems that we have had with those issues, I urge the cabinet secretary to ensure that that is addressed and that there is an agreement on staffing levels as a matter of urgency.

Scottish Labour supports a direct award to provide long-term certainty for islanders and the workforce. We urge the Government to include trade unions, including the RMT, in its due diligence in delivering a long-term contract to CalMac. Tendering will not take place within the 12-month framework that the extension provides. We need certainty so that we can focus on the service that islanders receive and ensure that we have a robust and reliable service in the future that will, I hope, be operated in a way that genuinely provides the cross-party support that we need for such services.

Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?

Would the cabinet secretary be willing to look at the issues that the RMT is raising in relation to crewing levels on the Glen Sannox and the issue of due diligence in relation to the direct award?

That is helpful.

The policy aim of the legislation in relation to domestic abuse is to help protect the rights of women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse and financial control and living in social housing to remain in their own home, or be rehoused if that is their wish, and to ensure that arrears accrued because of domestic abuse are not a barrier to accessing social housing in the future. To what extent do the bill’s provisions relating to domestic abuse achieve the stated policy aim?

Professor Fitzpatrick, do you have any concern that these provisions need to be strengthened or that they are not quite right? There seems to be positive feedback.

The policy aim of the domestic abuse provisions is to

“help protect the rights of women and children experiencing domestic abuse financial control living in social housing to remain in their home, or be re-housed if that is their wish, and ensure arrears accrued because of domestic abuse are not a barrier to accessing social housing in the future.”

The previous panel was of the view that those aims will be achieved by the bill. I am interested to know whether the current panel is also of that view.

I also have a specific question for Jules Oldham from Scottish Women’s Aid. Jules, would you like social landlord policies to be included in the bill to strengthen those provisions? You have stated that there is no mention of young women. Will you explain your findings relating to young women and domestic abuse? Do the bill or guidance or regulations need to address that in more detail?

Okay. That is helpful. Would any of the other witnesses like to comment?