Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-14391

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) European Commission regarding the requirement to re-tender ferry services every six years and when such discussions will next take place.

I have had a number of discussions with the UK Government regarding the maximum length of ferry services contracts, the most recent taking place on Tuesday 7 May when I raised the issue with Stephen Hammond MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Transport.

Having written to Commissioner Kallas in March 2011 I also had an exchange of letters, in May/June 2012, with Commissioner Almunia on the subject. I subsequently met with DG Move officials in October 2012. Following this, my discussed this matter with Commission officials in November 2012.

We anticipate clarification of the Commission’s position on the length of future ferry service contracts later this year.

Question reference: S4W-14390

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the forthcoming EU procurement directive in relation to ferry services.

Question reference: S4W-14387

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings (a) ministers and (b) Transport Scotland officials have had with representatives of (i) private companies and (ii) trade unions regarding the proposals in the final ferries plan.

During the Ferries Review period, Ministers and Transport Scotland officials met with Trade Union bodies and private companies to discuss future ferries policy in Scotland. In addition, the STUC were members of the Ferries Review Steering Group, and all ferry operators in Scotland were invited to join a ferries review operators group. Input from the trade unions and private companies as well as from a number of key stakeholders, including publicly owned ferry operators, local authorities, regional transport partnerships and enterprise companies, informed the drafting of the final Ferries Plan.

Question reference: S4W-14389

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated annual expenditure on Clyde and Hebrides ferry services will be in each year to 2025, broken down by (a) public subsidy, (b) vessel procurement, (c) infrastructure investment, (d) leasing and chartering costs, (e) vessel maintenance costs and (f) infrastructure maintenance costs.

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN ANSWER

8 May 2013

Index Heading: Transport Scotland

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated annual expenditure on Clyde and Hebrides ferry services will be in each year to 2025, broken down by (a) public subsidy, (b) vessel procurement, (c) infrastructure investment, (d) leasing and chartering costs, (e) vessel maintenance costs and (f) infrastructure maintenance costs.

(S4W-14389)

Keith Brown: As noted in the Ferries Plan, published on 19 December 2012, our projected spend for ferry services in 2013-14 is £116.3 million and this is expected to increase year on year, reflecting increases in costs and the cost of implementing the service improvements and investment projects set out in the Plan. Estimated funding required for the service improvements and, vessel replacement and harbour projects detailed is also provided in the Ferries Plan.

Question reference: S4W-14388

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated annual expenditure on Northern Isles ferry services will be in each year to 2025, broken down by (a) public subsidy, (b) vessel procurement, (c) infrastructure investment, (d) leasing and chartering costs, (e) vessel maintenance costs and (f) infrastructure maintenance costs.

The current Northern Isles ferry services contract runs from 2012 to 2018. We therefore have no estimated cost figures beyond 2018.

There has been a change to the overall cost of the six year Northern Isles ferry services contract. When the service was tendered the contract price, as reflected in Serco’s bid, was £243 million. Following a process with HMRC, Serco have since been advised of their election into the tonnage tax regime, effective from the date they began operating the Northern Isles services on 5 July 2012. As the effect of this has been to reduce the cost of vessel leasing, the six year contract cost is therefore reduced to £223 million. This sum still represents the largest six year subsidy ever provided for ferry services to the Northern Isles.

The contract year of the Scottish Government contract with Serco NorthLink runs from July to July. After the first nine months of year one, current projections suggest that there will likely be an additional subsidy spend of £1 million. This is largely due to increases in the price of marine fuel. Clearly, neither the ferry operator nor the Scottish Government have any influence over global oil prices. These increases indicate the scale of the costs related to supporting our lifeline ferry services. Given this additional subsidy requirement is paid for by the Scottish Government, it illustrates our continuing commitment towards our island and remote rural communities.

Infrastructure investment costs do not form part of the Northern Isles ferry services contract. Vessel leasing, chartering and maintenance costs are included in the overall subsidy figure. We do not provide a further breakdown of the subsidy.

Question reference: S4W-14386

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers and (b) vehicles have travelled on each Northern Isles ferry route in each month since January 2012.

Detailed spread sheets setting out the passenger and vehicle carryings for each of the Northern Isles routes, by month, since January 2012 have been lodged with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54911.

In this context, “vehicles” refers to cars, coaches, car towing vehicles, midis (small coaches), motorcycles and motorhomes. The only vehicles not included are commercial vans which are charged on the basis of the metres that they take up on the vessels and are therefore recorded separately in freight metre statistics.

Question reference: S4W-14385

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will make an assessment of the value for money for (a) taxpayers, (b) passengers and (c) businesses of the 2012-18 Northern Isles ferry contract.

Transport Scotland’s contract management team regularly monitors and assesses the efficiency of all aspects of the operation of the Northern Isles ferry services contract.

In addition to the routine contract management arrangements, in the event of any particular problems arising then additional, specific scrutiny will be brought to bear. Following the recent mechanical breakdown affecting the MV Hamnavoe, I have asked for a full report on the circumstances and the operator’s response.

Question reference: S4O-02086

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for the provision of dentistry in NHS Grampian.

Question reference: S4W-14341

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many uneaten hospital meals have been disposed of by NHS Grampian in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-14342

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 30 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much on average NHS Grampian has spent on hospital food per patient per day in each of the last five years.