Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

Filter your results Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Current session: 13 May 2021 to 12 September 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 6073 contributions

|

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

I am sorry—I am completely confused. I understand that you want continuity but, if you want continuity, surely you should recruit before the person’s time is up rather than extending their time in post.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

I thought you had another one about pavement parking, but I see that you have asked it. Over to you, Douglas.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

I know that you want to ask one more question, but I have to push everyone for short questions and answers because other people want to come in. That said, off you go.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

I will push you on that. We are running out of time to go out to tender for the contract. I feel that one of the most difficult decisions to make would be to recommend that it is again awarded to CalMac. Islanders are probably thinking, “How can you give it to CalMac, when it has been so bad at delivering what it has been delivering for the last contract period?”

I want to push you on when we are going to get an answer. I would also like to know what key things you will do to reassure islanders that if it is a direct award, you will be right on top of the delivery of the service. The figures that we got from CalMac on its delivery of standards were opaque, to say the least.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

Just before we leave the topic of railways, one of the reasons that was given when ScotRail was nationalised was that Abellio was not meeting its public performance measures. However, with fewer trains and less work being done on the railways, the Scottish Government is still failing to meet its targets. What is the reason for that?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

Your point is well made, Mark. The committee has written to both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to ask for their opinions and what actions are available to them if this SI is passed, and we will have to consider carefully the letters that we get back at a later date.

As the Scottish Government is consenting to what the UK Government is doing, it is difficult for us to do within the timeframe any more than what is in those letters. That is the quandary in which we find ourselves. The committee will just have to understand that we will look carefully at the letters from both the UK and Scottish Governments when they come back. If we want to make recommendations, we can do so, but in the meantime, I fear that we have little or no option but to agree to the SI.

I will move to the substantive question. Is the committee content that the provision set out in the notification should be made to the proposed UK statutory instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

The next questions come from Ash Regan.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

I am sure there will be a chance to get back at you, minister.

Mark Ruskell has some questions about buses.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

Thank you, Mark.

I have questions on islands, which also fall within your portfolio. The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill has been published. I suspect that if it is implemented as it stands it will produce some challenges for islands in terms of how they cope with its requirements. How did you feed into that process and what do you see as being the key challenges?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Scottish Government Priorities

Meeting date: 19 September 2023

Edward Mountain

That would be best at this stage.

Jackie Dunbar has some questions.