Chamber and committees

Our needs-based assessment concluded that residents of Orkney and Shetland’s outlying islands access their services respectively from Orkney and Shetland mainland rather than the Scottish mainland.

We have confirmed that RET will be rolled out to Islay from autumn 2012. As noted in the Draft Ferries Plan, Islay and Jura are part of the same island group. We therefore want to ensure that residents of Jura have equal access to the Scottish mainland set of services. Offering free travel on the Jura to Islay leg of an onward journey to the mainland therefore provides a more consistent approach when managing the implementation of RET.

As stated in the Draft Ferries Plan, we will develop this approach further for the Final Ferries Plan.

As noted in the Draft Ferries Plan, we are absolutely committed to providing a ferry service that meets the needs of users on the Gourock to Dunoon town centre to town centre route. Following a fair and open tendering process, the contract awarded in 2011 was the best that could be achieved within very clear European Commission restrictions that only allow for subsidy of a passenger service on this route. Although we appreciate that providing a vehicle service was not a viable option for tenderers, we were disappointed not to be able to continue the vehicle and passenger service. Our clear policy preference is that the service should carry both vehicles and passengers. We will continue to look at more options to achieve that and to improve the overall service and facilities.

Also as noted in the Draft Ferries Plan, where we have sufficiently robust data, we have applied our needs-based assessment to all main communities. For the Gourock to Dunoon route we did not have sufficient information to allow us to apply the methodology in full. We have, however, been able to establish that the town centre to town centre route is consistent with a commuting dependency.

The total cost for consultancy fees incurred in relation to the Draft Ferries Plan is expected to be in the region of £53,000.

As noted in the Draft Ferries Plan, published on 21 December 2011, we recognise that for services not currently provided under contract to the Scottish Government or another public body, a Ferries Regulator could regulate the pricing and provision of services. The Draft Ferries Plan also indicates however that, regardless of any plans to encourage greater competition, it is unlikely that we would wish to leave any of the lifeline routes to be run without a contract.

Further details on the need for a Ferries Regulator will be made available in the Final Ferries Plan, to be published later in 2012.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) harbour dues were increased in line with inflation in April 2012. Under the terms of their public service contracts with the Scottish Ministers, CalMac Ferries Ltd and Argyll Ferries Ltd can receive increased subsidies in respect of increases in the harbour dues levied by CMAL, local authorities and independent harbour trusts. This is in recognition that these costs are outside the control of the operator.