Chamber and committees

Matters about when and whether to deploy the adjustable car ramp are operational ones which CalMac are best placed to respond to, not least in terms of future plans.

The adjustable car ramp allows Cal Mac to increase capacity when the need arises on certain sailings at certain times of the year. CalMac have advised that there has been less need for it to be deployed, as evidenced by the usage during the period of the Summer Timetable 2022 (25 March 22 until 23 October 2022), when MV deployed the Mezzanine Deck on 19.8% of sailings.

Footfall figures for the Tarbert – Lochmaddy – Uig route from March to October 2022 were 134,072, compared to 174,376 for the same period in 2019, an approximate 26% reduction in footfall.

During the spring/summer period of 2023 we will expect CalMac to deploy the ramp as necessary.

Operation Close Pass is an ongoing exercise carried out by Police Scotland and aligns with the latest version of the Highway Code introduced in January 2022 which highlights leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph and giving them more space when overtaking at higher speeds. In the complementary 'Give Cycle Space' campaign funded by Transport Scotland, 62% of drivers report being more likely to give at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking a cyclist. Based on research by West Midlands Police (available publicly) we know that Operation Close Pass can reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the road by as much as 20%. The Scottish Government will continue to support Police Scotland with Operation Close Pass in 2023-24 on specific dates or at locations as determined.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government has engaged with representatives of the Health and Safety Executive on this tragic incident and understand that it is now subject of a live police investigation and not a matter that the Scottish Government can comment on.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets over this parliamentary term, in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country and to support mobile Changing Places Toilets to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues.

Funding for the construction of Changing Places Toilets has not yet been allocated. Further information about this fund will be available in the coming months. We have recently published our Changing Places Toilets: Planning Guide and an accompanying easy read for people who are planning to develop Changing Places Toilets now.

Recognising the challenging economic circumstances for businesses, the Scottish Budget 2023-24, published on 15 December 2022, delivers a strong non-domestic rates package to support business.

In addition to the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row, ensuring that over 95% of properties in Scotland, including all small and medium sized properties, pay a lower tax rate than they would in other devolved nations, the Budget included a package of reliefs worth an estimated £744 million. This includes the UK’s most generous Small Business Bonus Scheme relief which will take 100,000 properties out of rates altogether and also Rural Rates relief which provides up to 100% relief for properties in rural areas.

To incentivise and promote Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme, parts of properties used solely to house reverse vending machines will not be liable to pay rates from 1 April 2023.

Within the powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament, we are delivering support packages for Scottish businesses that are not available elsewhere in the UK.

Given most of the levers to respond to the challenges that businesses are facing are reserved, we continue to urge the UK Government to use all the powers at its disposal to tackle this cost of living crisis on the scale required, including access to borrowing, providing benefits and support to households, VAT on fuel, taxation of windfall profits and regulation of the energy market.

The decision to implement a fares freeze until October 2023 will reduce the income received by operators across that period which may require additional subsidy once any final costs are known or increased patronage is considered. This will be reconciled with operators in the normal manner.

As a result of the pressures that household budgets are under the Scottish Government confirmed last year that there would be no change to rail fares before March 2023. Any change to rail fares this year will be confirmed in due course but Scottish Ministers are very clear that they will not rise by an amount equivalent to the July Retail Price Index rate of 12.3 per cent.

As part of the Scottish Government’s fair fares review Transport Scotland will take forward the pilot to evaluate the removal of peak rail fares. The pilot will apply to the whole network for the six-month period, commencing in the next financial year. Work on the precise methodology, design and evaluation is ongoing with Transport Scotland officials working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail Trains Ltd to derive maximum benefit for this scheme.

Further details on the peak fares pilot will be confirmed over the coming weeks.

I am advised by Transport Scotland that CalMac Ferries informed West Coast Motors, who operate the bus service on Mull, of their revised timetable for the Oban-Craignure route on 29 December 2022. A revised bus timetable was implemented by West Coast Motors between 31 December 2022 and 8 January 2023 allowing ferry connections.

The Scottish Government has received representations from local residents and MSPs regarding transport options for the Corran Narrows, however, Scottish Ministers have no locus in this decision.

Transport links across the Corran Narrows is wholly the responsibility of The Highland Council and as such, any decision to replace ferries or deliver a fixed link and funding of this, would be a matter for the Local Authority.