Chamber and committees

I have had an initial discussion with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the approach to the statement on 17 November. That did not in any shape or form cover substantive details. I have been promised substantive engagement before the UK statement, and I will make myself available for any such dialogue at any opportunity.

I have not yet had a positive response to that, despite the fact that we have asked for that on a number of occasions. Kate Forbes asked for that issue to be addressed in the summer, before she went on maternity leave, and I reiterated that. The First Minister has also made that point, and I will continue to stress it. As I said in an earlier answer, this is a year quite without precedent regarding the scale of inflationary pressures. Ordinarily, if inflation is at 2 or 3 per cent, that will not really cause much of a financial strain. However, if inflation is at 10 per cent, that will cause a real financial strain. This morning, the Criminal Justice Committee heard evidence from the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service about the issues that that public service is wrestling with.

The point that Mr Greer makes to me and which I will take to the UK Government is an entirely valid view.

We are working with all of Scotland’s cities and towns to support their recovery and help to build thriving and sustainable towns and cities of the future.

We maintain a competitive non-domestic rates regime and are delivering the lowest non-domestic rates poundage in the UK for the fourth year in a row, and we are supporting a generous package of non-domestic rates reliefs that is worth £801 million.

That is in addition to the action that we are taking to support our town and city centres, and to help retailers and communities to recover, not least through our £80 million Covid economic recovery fund, the £6 million city centre recovery fund, the £325 million place-based investment programme, our retail strategy and the town centre action plan.

Obviously, there has been parliamentary committee assessment of the steps that have been taken to deliver the ferries. Interim management was put in place to take forward the construction of the vessels. Under the leadership of David Tydeman, the yard is making good progress in advancing those vessels. The Government will work with Ferguson Marine to ensure that we complete the construction of vessels 801 and 802, to enable them to be deployed on the network to deliver the quality service that we expect for islanders.

Ferguson Marine informed the Scottish Government on 27 October of an issue relating to the liquefied natural gas system for the MV Glen Sannox, which requires sensors to be procured. Due to issues with the global supply chain, ministers are advised that it may take something in the order of 36 weeks. Ministers are seeking urgent options for the next steps and expect all possible measures to be taken to deliver the vessel to serve islanders as soon as possible.

Officials will continue to engage with Ferguson Marine as it assesses the full impact of that development, including any financial implications, which Ferguson Marine will share with both the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament once that has been confirmed.

I addressed the substantive points that Mr Simpson raised with me. He then asked me whether I had any further concerns or whether any issues had been drawn to my attention. As he will know, there is regular reporting on progress on the Glen Sannox, which is shared with the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

He went on to say that he has heard concerns about

“certain aspects of the build.”

With the greatest respect, I point out that that is not the most specific comment that has ever been put to me in the Parliament chamber. If he has specific concerns, he can, of course, raise them with me.

On the financial position in relation to the contract, Mr Simpson is aware of the details that have been shared with Parliament on the estimates by the management team at Ferguson’s regarding the financial implications of their assessment of the current work programme. Those estimates are being assessed by the Government, and further decisions will be taken in due course once that assessment has been completed.

Since the Government was elected in May 2021, we have purchased and deployed the MV Loch Frisa; we have taken forward construction of vessels 801 and 802; we have commissioned two new vessels for the Islay routes; and we have progressed improvements to key ports and harbours. We have also taken further investment decisions.

The Minister for Transport has announced that Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd is progressing the procurement of a further two major vessels, which will deliver significantly increased capacity and reliability for the communities of the Western Isles and will improve resilience across the wider Clyde and Hebrides network. The procurement notice for those vessels was published on 27 October, with a deadline for submission of 6 December.

In addition to the on-going vessel investments, we will expand the tide and weather monitoring equipment that is currently in place at CMAL ports to other third-party ports, progress the Skye triangle and Islay route port works, and continue the work to improve the harbour infrastructure for Arran services.

I gave Mr Simpson the best answer that I could on an issue that was raised with the Government just last Thursday, which was that any financial implications arising from that issue will be shared with both the Government and the Scottish Parliament once the cost has been confirmed by Ferguson Marine. That is the answer to the question of cost.

With regard to the issue that has arisen, the sensors are clearly necessary because, as I understand their function, they are part of the safety system around the LNG system that will operate on the Glen Sannox. The sensors had not been ordered. They have now been ordered, and the answer that I gave Mr Simpson is the substantive answer on the current estimate of the timescale for delivery of those sensors.

I apologise to Jackie Baillie that I omitted to deal with the point about long Covid. I am not in any way avoiding the question, but we have set out the scope of the terms of reference and, in my judgment, long Covid issues are certainly within the scope of the terms of reference. Fundamentally, though, it is a matter for Lord Brailsford to determine as he leads the evidence in the inquiry. I hope that that addresses Mr MacGregor’s first point.

On the bereaved families, I cannot stress to Parliament more the importance that I attach to the voices of bereaved families being heard in the inquiry. I have asked a number of things of Lord Brailsford, including to chair the inquiry and to follow the terms of reference, but I have also asked him specifically to meet the bereaved families groupings as an early priority, because I think that that is important. As I said to the families, I have done my best to convey to Lord Brailsford what they have said to me about how they feel about the inquiry. It is critical that Lord Brailsford hears that from the families, and he has given me the undertaking that he will do so.

I have placed a requirement on the inquiry

“To demonstrate how a human rights-based approach by the inquiry has contributed to the inquiry’s findings”.

Also, in the recommendations, we place that very obligation on the inquiry—to ensure that it reports and it engages at all times in an appropriate and accessible way so that the needs of all interested parties are properly and adequately met as a consequence.