Chamber and committees

Not a day goes by when there is not another problem with our ferries. Last week, there was a welding crack in the Glen Sannox. This week, the Sound of Barra ferry is off again, and that ferry is not being replaced through the small ferries contract. The mainland route is being served by the MV Isle of Mull, which, because of problems with the evacuation system, can hold only 45 passengers, when the ship was built to hold nearly 1,000. That issue was flagged in the 2016 contract between Transport Scotland and CalMac, but it has been left to wither on the vine and go to fault rather than being dealt with. The community in Barra does not understand why boats are being deployed in that way, and they are asking for a debrief on the impact on the island in order to understand why decisions have been made.

Claire Baker talked about the impact that the situation is having on ferry users and on communities, and the impact of fare increases, which are well over inflation.

Ariane Burgess talked about the impact on businesses, especially agriculture and food businesses, in trying to get food on and off islands.

Islanders are, by necessity, seafarers, but the Scottish Government cannot find enough of them to provide members for boards to oversee the running of the ferries. We have a situation in which ferries are owned and operated by boards whose members have no idea what island living is like and no knowledge of the impact that ferry failures can have on the community.

The tripartite arrangement simply is not working, and it makes passing the buck much easier. Three bodies are in charge, but not one of them is taking responsibility. That needs to end. Communities that are served by ferries must be empowered to run the services using their knowledge and skills, and, indeed, because of their dependence on having a well-run ferry network. Those skills are crucial to board members.

Will the member take an intervention?

In Scotland, we are blessed with world-recognised high-quality food and drink, from Scottish whisky to Scottish salmon, to Orkney Gold, to—of course—Stornoway black pudding. I could cite many more examples from the Highlands and Islands alone. The debate gives members the opportunity to list the wonderful produce from their constituencies and regions.

However, this year, there are more serious matters to debate. The talk of trade wars and tariffs creates uncertainty for our food and drink industry. We need to build trade agreements that allow our produce to be sold around the world, but agreements must never be to the detriment of our standards.

It is not just about maintaining standards—the quality and quantity of Scottish produce is something to celebrate, and the renowned status of our food and drink must be harnessed and promoted internationally. However, the SNP, despite claiming to represent Scotland, has not done a good job of exporting Scotland’s produce to the world.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.

That is it—there is another plan, but we need action.

The Scottish Government motion talks about protection of English whisky posing a risk to Scottish whisky, but in that regard, the cabinet secretary seeks to cause a disagreement where one does not exist. As Daniel Johnson said, the UK Government has made it clear that it will not support any moves to change the definition of “single malt”, which should provide reassurance to members.

I have taken a number of interventions, and I am running out of time, so I must continue.

Many of our primary food producers work in the islands and in rural Scotland. However, the Scottish Government is not building homes in rural Scotland. That means that the workforce is depleted and young people are being driven to our cities.

Producers also need good reliable routes to market in order to ensure the quality and freshness of their products. That counts, whether they are transporting goods around the world or within Scotland. Our islands’ fish processors have a daily battle to try to get their produce to the mainland and beyond. A ferry cancellation because of yet another breakdown plays havoc with that need. That situation forces those industries to consider moving to the mainland, which will decimate our island economies. There are jobs in fish processing; however, processors get their products from a myriad of small boats, so they would need catches to be transported to the mainland, but those boats are far too small to land in mainland ports. Therefore, if the processors move out, the boats will have nowhere to sell their catches.

Our shellfish is also recognised for its excellence worldwide. To keep that reputation and gain us national and international benefit, it needs to be kept fresh. Therefore, we need to make it fairer and easier for the whole industry to work and trade.

With all that said, it is sad that, in a country such as ours that is renowned for its produce, many of our citizens live in food poverty. It is simply wrong that people are forced to get their nutrition from food banks. I long for the day when the need for food banks is a thing of the past.

We are rightly proud of our reputation for excellence in the food and drink industry. To sustain and grow our food and drink industry domestically as well as internationally, businesses need modern and fit-for-purpose transportation networks. They also need skilled employees in order that they can grow their operations. Those employees need homes to live in in order to nurture communities and the workers of the future.

To promote our food and drink, we need to protect its reputation and excellence while ensuring that we achieve net zero. Reputations need to be actively maintained and sustained. We need to ensure that our food and drink sector has the Government backing that it needs.

I move amendment S6M-16839.1, to insert at end:

“; notes the further risk to Scotland’s food and drink industry posed by rural depopulation, caused by a lack of housing supply and weakened transport links; acknowledges that the Food and Drink Federation estimates that the sector needs nearly 35,000 new recruits by 2031 to fill skills gaps; welcomes the commitment by the UK Labour administration to not water down the legal definition of single malt whisky; believes that the Scottish Government can do more to promote the unique nature of Scotch whisky and other Scottish food and drink exports to maximise the reach of Brand Scotland; calls on the Scottish Government to work across every department to drive a coherent strategy on food and drink as part of a wider industrial strategy, and further calls for clear career pathways in these industries to address skills gaps and drive excellence in the world-famous sector.”

Will the member take an intervention?

Does Christine Grahame acknowledge that the NI threshold was cut for small businesses, which will have a positive impact on small rural businesses?

I did not ask to intervene. However, I have to say that the member may stand up in the Parliament and say things that are maybe not true. [Interruption.] However, what was said in the UK Parliament, I have to say, is true, and he has to accept it.

The letter talks about legal competence. What the minister said on his hind legs in the UK Parliament was that they were not going to change a definition.

That is why Scottish Labour’s brand Scotland campaign is so important—it will drive and boost investment and exports. Brand Scotland utilises UK Government infrastructure to focus on investments and trade strategies that are good for Scotland, which enhances Scotland’s international presence and drives economic growth.