Chamber and committees

Capacity considerationsis one of the issues the consultants engaged on the road equivalent tariff (RET)study have been asked to consider. The study will seek to identify any capacityconstraints that would emerge during the pilot and from any permanent roll out of the RET approach. The consultants have been asked to quantify the cost of increasingthe capacity to meet demand, through additional or larger vessels and new shoreinfrastructure.

In the finalphase of the RET study the consultants will quantify both the costs and benefitswhich would arise should road equivalent tariff be applied on a permanent basisand rolled out to other ferry routes in the Clyde and Hebrides and NorthernIsles networks and the likely longer term impacts of such a roll out.

The budgetallocation for the RET study and pilot in years (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and(c) 2009-10 is £5 million, £7.5 million and £10 million respectively.

This is one of the issues that the consultants engaged on the road equivalent tariff studyhave been asked to consider and to include in their proposals for the pilotexercise.

I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5199 on 25 October 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

This is one of theissues the consultants carrying out the study have been asked to consider.

This is anoperational matter for Scottish Water and its subsidiary. I have asked their Chief Executives to consider the question and write to you directly.

There are noplans at present – but we are in regular discussion with Scottish WaterBusiness Stream about the implications of the opening of the retail market fromApril 2008.

The time taken tosource new ferries from tender to delivery is dependent on a number of factorsincluding size of vessel, individual and collective pressures on shipyardcapacity, demand in the world shipping market and the availability of keycomponents. The time taken from the issue of tender invitations to delivery,for the ferry recently ordered for the Islay route is some four years.

The current road equivalenttariff (RET) study will provide an initial analysis of the potential impacts,especially in economic and social terms, of the introduction of the RETapproach. The impact on local business will also be monitored during the pilotphase of the study. The third and final phase of the RET study will involve anevaluation of the pilot, making use of the information gathered through thebaseline and monitoring exercises. In addition to assessing the impact of thepilot, the evaluation will attempt, as far as is possible, to quantify both thecosts and benefits to residents and businesses which would arise should RET beapplied on a permanent basis and rolled out to other ferry routes in the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles networks. Thisevaluation will also consider the likely longer-term impacts of such a rollout.

The Scottish Governmenthas had no recent discussions with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) regarding any difficulties in sourcing new build ferriesin the United Kingdom. CMAL are responsible for procuring vesselsfor use on the Clyde and Hebrides routes and are obliged to follow EU procurementrules when placing orders for new vessels.