Chamber and committees

The project execution plan is complete.

The Scottish Government has carried out two public consultations on all aspects of college reform and regionalisation which includes the existence of student associations in merged colleges.

I lodged an amendment to the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill at stage 3 to provide that all colleges and universities, as part of the criteria they must meet to be eligible for public funding, must have suitable arrangements to seek to ensure the interests of students are represented by a students’ association.

The provisions of the Education Act 1994 rightly do not allow for there to be separate student associations representing different college campuses because it would undermine effective and coherent student representation.

However it is of course open to student associations, in devising their own structures and procedures, to put in place arrangements to ensure students at different campuses are fairly represented.

We also amended the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill at stage 3 to provide that all colleges and universities, as part of the criteria they must meet to be eligible for public funding, must have suitable arrangements to seek to ensure the interests of students are represented by a students’ association.

While the overall cost of the Northern Isles ferry services contract has already been announced, the Scottish Government does not provide a further breakdown of the various elements of our ferry service contract costs.

In addition, the costs of leasing and chartering vessels are covered by confidentiality agreements between their owners and the ferry operators.

Following Serco NorthLink’s election into the tonnage tax regime, they will take on four Officer cadets per year. Currently they have four Officer cadets (three deck and one engine) and this number will be added to by a further four from October 2013, and again by a further four each year going forward.

While there is no obligation to take on Rating trainees, as a consequence of their election into the tonnage tax regime, Serco NorthLink are working with Orkney College to introduce new entrants to the industry.

Under the terms of the Northern Isles ferry services contract, any rise in the cost of marine fuel falls to the Scottish Government. No maximum sum is set down for this in the Northern Isles ferry services contract.

As a result of the serious mechanical breakdown suffered by the vessel, the MV Hamnavoe missed 59 return sailings between 26 April and 22 May 2013.

However, from 2 May 2013 until the Hamnavoe returned to service, the freight vessel the MV Helliar was brought on to the route and operated to the published timetable.

Serco’s contingency plans meant that all passengers and freight were able to be accommodated on the preferred day of travel and therefore these passenger and freight carryings were not “lost”.

I have asked Transport Scotland officials to prepare a report on the breakdown of the MV Hamnavoe. That report is currently being drafted. The report will include an assessment of the operator’s response to the breakdown. Once the report has been produced I will further consider how best to make its findings available to stakeholders.

The detailed compensation mechanism in the Northern Isles contract does allow for certain costs to be shared between Serco NorthLink and the Scottish Government. However, other compensating factors will also come into play including the performance deductions from Serco NorthLink’s subsidy payments arising from the loss of the Hamnavoe.

Transport Scotland does not have responsibility for maintaining the ports and harbour infrastructure that support the Northern Isles ferry services. That responsibility lies with the individual ports and harbours.