Current status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 9 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what the annual subsidy level was for the public contract for the Northern Isles Ferry Services in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2024-25.
Information regarding the annual subsidy level for the public contract for the Northern Isles Ferry Services is available on the Transport Scotland website under ‘Transport Scotland Section 70 return – 2013-2014’ and ‘Transport Scotland Section 70 Return – 2024-25’.
The individual subsidy levels from these documents for the Northern Isles Ferry Services have been reproduced in the following tables.
| 2013-2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Isles Ferry Services | Northern Isles Ferry Services Limited | Deficit Grant in connection with leasing of vessels for the Northern Isles Ferry Services | 8,668,641.42 |
| Serco NorthLink Ferries | Deficit Grant in connection with the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract | 28,838,554.28 | |
| Northern Isles Ferry Services Total | 37,507,195.70 | ||
| Northern Isles Load On/Load Off Contract | Shetland Line (1984) Limited | Deficit Grant in connection with the Northern Isles Freight service (Lo-Lo) contract | Deficit Grant in connection with the Northern Isles Freight service (Lo-Lo) contract | 628,709.38 |
| Northern Isles Load On/Load Off Contract Total | 628,709.38 | |||
| 2024-2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grant Recipient | Purpose of Grant | Total 2024-2025 |
| Serco Limited | Grant and leasing cost in connection with the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract | 57,311,641.05 |
Web addresses:
http://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/transport-scotland-section-70-return-2013-14/