Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29871 on 24 November. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

It is not possible to providean exact estimate of the total cost of the tendering process. However, we are ableto provide approximate Scottish Executive staffing costs incurred during the tenderingprocess and approximate costs in relation to professional advice received. We arealso able to provide a figure in relation advertising costs incurred during thetendering process.

Staffing costs of approximately£63,550 at current prices, have been incurred since the commercial tendering processbegan. This cost does not include the cost of senior officials in Transport Group,specialist officials or Ministers as their time cannot be separately accounted for.Neither does it include any allowance for the overheads that the Executive accruesgenerally.

Further external technical, financialand legal advice was commissioned to assist the Executive in taking forward thetendering process. An approximate cost of £80,300 has been incurred in this respectsince the commercial tendering process began.

An additional approximate costof £3,100 was incurred for advertising during the commercial tendering process.

Some of the work carried outwill be relevant to future proposals for the Gourock to Dunoon route.

The Campbeltown to Ballycastletender has not yet been completed as it has been suspended following the NorthernIreland Office’s decision to withdraw its funding commitment. The Executive hasasked the Northern Ireland Office to reconsider this decision. It is, therefore,incorrect to say that the process has failed. The Executive has been clear throughoutthat there was no guarantee that the Gourock to Dunoon commercial tender would attractbids. However, as a commercial service would remove the constraints on a subsidisedservice imposed by State aid rules and as some local interests have argued thata service between Gourock Pier and Dunoon Pier could be operated on a commercialbasis, the Executive concluded that a commercial opportunity should be tendered.Now that it is clear that a passenger and vehicle service cannot be operated ona commercial basis, the Executive will, in line with plans announced when we issuedthe commercial tender, bring forward other proposals for the route.

The tendering of ferry servicesis being conducted in a fair and robust manner and in full compliance with EU rulesand the Executive’s procurement guidelines.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29862 on 24 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29862 on 24 November. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Executive is committedto implementing a fair and robust tendering process that will create a level playingfield for bidders. We will do everything possible to encourage a positive responseto this exercise but it will be for the companies involved to decide whether tosubmit a bid.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29808 on 23 November 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.Scottish Parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

On the specific question of compensation,we do intend to provide compensation to the operator of the Clyde and HebridesFerry Services as provided for in the 1992 Maritime Cabotage Regulation and EC legislationon state aid. We do not consider that this compensation could be deemed to be illegalstate aid.

Otherwise neither this questionnor questions S2W-29803, S2W-29804, S2W-29805 and S2W-29807 raise any new issueswhich are not already covered in the answer to question S2W-28960 on 9 November 2006. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.Scottish Parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

As noted in the response tothe answer to question S2W-28960 on 9 November 2006, the range of factors that canbe specified in “public service obligations” is limited to those set out in Article4.2 of the Maritime Cabotage Regulation. The obligations set out in a “public servicecontract” will generally include those factors set out in Article 4.2 and additionalfactors related to the delivery of the public service – such as quality – whichare permissible only if a public service contract approach is used.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29808 on 23 November 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at http://www.Scottish Parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.