The Committee asks the Scottish Government to clarify—
The outcome of consultation by the Chair of the Ferries Community Board, and whether it indicates that communities served by the CHFS network would prefer a direct award;
Whether it considers it would be lawful to make a direct award and, if so, whether it will do so;
How it will ensure a direct award will deliver value, taking into account the savings in not running a tender exercise compared with the resource required to ensure an award is compliant, and how Transport Scotland will ensure a direct award will deliver value as recommended by Audit Scotland.