Chamber and committees

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, as the procuring authority, have confirmed that Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd expressed an interest and submitted a bid for the contract to build the two new ferries.

We are well on our way to achieving our commitment to introduce more than 80 additional counsellors in colleges and universities. Funding for the 2021-22 Academic Year, set at £4.23 million, an increase of almost £0.6 million on last year’s budget, will help address the issue of equity of access, a key commitment in our Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Over the coming months, the Scottish Government will work closely with sector and wider stakeholders, to further ensure equity of access to counsellors and to take forward our commitments to embed mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum, through the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan.

The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) provided support to purchase new ultra low emission buses. The scheme was open to bus operators, local authorities and companies leasing buses to authorities/bus operators who run local registered bus services in Scotland. The bids included information about the buses that would be acquired, including the manufacturer, but whether the manufacturer was domestic or otherwise was not factored into the assessment of the bids. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods, however of the 272 buses purchased under this scheme 207 have been ordered from Alexander Dennis Ltd, the bus manufacturing company based in Larbert, Scotland.

The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme has now been replaced by the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). Bidders are strongly encouraged to put in place arrangements with partners or collaborators, to minimise the level of subsidy being requested. Bids from domestic manufacturers, or involving domestic manufacturers, will be assessed on the same basis as bids from other eligible parties. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods.

There are a large number of ports and harbours around the Scottish coast ranging in size from large commercial ports to local piers, slipways and marinas. Ownership models include harbour trusts, privately owned harbours, local authority ownership and harbours owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. We value the diverse range of port ownership in Scotland and the benefits this brings for communities and other stakeholders. Any public sector expenditure on port infrastructure should be carried out with the aim of achieving the best value for money.

By law, you must wear a face covering on trains and inside railway stations in Scotland.

ScotRail has clearly communicated this message to customers via prominent signage and announcements on trains and within stations, social media messaging and joint media releases with the British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail Scotland.

Enforcement of the wearing of face coverings on the railway rests with the BTP. BTP officers continue to conduct join initiatives with ScotRail and deploy to non-compliance hotspots.

We are currently considering the appropriateness of such agreements, similar to those developed south of the Border, for Scotland. Initial discussions have been held with trade union colleagues and we are keen to explore constructively how they might be involved in any such future arrangement.

Throughout the pandemic we have supported bus operators to keep Scotland moving, and have made up to £210 million in additional financial support available since June 2020. Operators receiving this funding enter into public service contracts and are required to meet certain conditions including running a specified level of service mileage set at 95% of pre-COVID levels unless otherwise agreed with Transport Scotland. Some operators are running less bus mileage due to constraining factors such as bus driver shortages. Given reduced patronage and changing travel patterns, operators are also required to adapt services to meet demand as it now arises. When doing so, operators are required to consult and cooperate with local transport authorities, have regard to public transport connectivity, and keep services under review. The model public service contract, setting out the full terms and conditions, can be found on the Transport Scotland website: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/covid-19-support-grant/

I pre-recorded a keynote speech for the Scottish Maritime Cluster’s reception at London International Shipping Week. Transport Scotland officials attended the event at Dover House to highlight the Scottish Government’s continued support for an active relationship with the Scottish Maritime Cluster and key stakeholders from the wider maritime sector.

This would be a matter for North Ayrshire Council to consider. However we continue to work closely with North Ayrshire Council to secure an appropriate outcome for Ardrossan.