Chamber and committees

Decisions on deployment of vessels and service provision are for the operator to manage. There are real challenges currently for CalMac in deploying the fleet as a result of vessels being out of service due to technical issues and the impact of annual overhauls.

I understand CalMac have been able re-instate some of the cancelled Monday sailings to Colonsay throughout the Winter Timetable.

We continue to impress upon CalMac the importance of finding the best available solution for the ferry network as a whole.

The Scottish Government notes the report commissioned by ASLEF and its findings. Every worker should be able to work with dignity and this includes having an access to toilet facilities. The report findings are for train operating companies, as employers to consider.

Under the current Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract there is no requirement for CalMac to report this detail. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not hold this information. The booking system, its management and operation is a matter for CalMac.

The deployment of vessels is a matter for the Operator. CalMac Ferries Limited, could only allow 48 hours to ensure they were able to inform communities what changes were planned, and could be implemented in the short timeframe available.

The Scottish Government is already committed to delivering the ambitions set out in the Scottish Government’s Vision for Agriculture. Scotland will have a support framework that delivers high quality food production, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature restoration. This will be delivered thorough the Agricultural Reform Programme (ARP) which will contain a number of Tiers to provide range of targeted support. This will include specific support for businesses which they do their part to deliver Scotland’s climate and biodiversity targets, including measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and restore and improve nature.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill introduced into Parliament earlier this year further supports nature restoration. It sets out proposals that will change how land is owned and managed in our rural and island communities; it places legal responsibilities on the owners of the very largest landholdings to set out how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, like addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature. It also proposes a new Land Management Tenancy creating a framework for hybrid land management. This will enable people and communities to undertake a range of land management activities that help to deliver net zero, biodiversity and sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 requires that Scottish Ministers publish a circular economy strategy and make regulations to set circular economy targets.

The development of the circular economy strategy and associated monitoring and indicator framework will be developed between now and March 2026. A consultation for both is planned for summer 2025 with development of targets to follow their publication. This will include, for example, consideration of material-specific targets as recommended by the Climate Change Committee.

We work closely with industry and other stakeholders, directly and through Zero Waste Scotland, to understand and consider new approaches and technologies as they develop. These will be taken into account when developing the Circular Economy Strategy.

The total invested to 9th November 2024 (Railway Period 8 – 2024) on projects to reduce journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt is £23.1m. Of this figure, £16.3m has been spent on the Aberdeen – Central Belt Service Improvement project, and £6.8m has been spent on the project to improve rail line speeds in the Barnhill area between Perth and Dundee. The investment at Barnhill remodelled a junction between the Tay Viaduct at Perth and Barnhill to increase line speeds over it from 20mph to 50mph. It is a direct enabler for the plan to reduce rail journey times between the Central Belt and the North-East, improving connectivity and enhancing capacity for both passenger and freight trains on the route.

The total cost, to date of chartering the MV Alfred amounts to £21.4m broken down as follows: April 2023 - February 2024 totalled £9.1m and March 2024 – March 2025 amounts to £12.3m.

The cost includes the charter of the vessel but also variable elements around fuel, harbour dues and other costs that are dependent on the actual deployment of the vessel. Furthermore, the time on charter will be adjusted accordingly, to account for any period the vessel is out of service, and therefore not available

The number of sailings and performance were detailed in the following table

The Scottish Government has maintained its commitment to No Compulsory Redundancy since 2007 and there is no change to the commitment set out in the multi-year 2024-25 Public Sector pay Policy published on 30 May 2024.

The 2025-26 Draft Budget has also set out a 10-year programme of Public Service Reform to Parliament, with a strong focus on the data, levers and workforce that will drive efficiency. To enable this work, we will deliver an Invest to Save fund in 2025-26, backed by up to £30 million of funding recognising the need to catalyse efficiency, effectiveness and productivity projects as part of the PSR programme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31682 on 9 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers