Seòmar agus comataidhean

If it is a brief question to which we get brief answers, that would be helpful.

We have heard from young people as part of the inquiry. We are very keen, as a committee, to make sure that the young people whom you have just described, their aspirations and their needs are as much part and parcel of the inquiry as the more commercial aspects that, as you said, tend to get more of a focus.

Good morning, and welcome to the fourth meeting in 2023 of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. We have received apologies from the convener of the committee, Edward Mountain.

The first agenda item is consideration of whether to take agenda item 3 in private. Under item 3, the committee will consider the evidence that we will hear today as part of our inquiry into a modern and sustainable ferry service for Scotland. Do members agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you. Those are issues that Monica Lennon may want to pursue in her questioning.

We will move to questions from Mark Ruskell, who is joining us remotely.

I will ask briefly about the socioeconomic report that was produced on the impact of ferry services. What is the ferries community board doing to take forward those findings?

We will now hear from our second panel today as part of our inquiry into a modern and sustainable ferry service for Scotland. On behalf of the committee, I am pleased to welcome representatives of CalMac’s ferries community board. The board was established by CalMac in 2016. It is comprised of ferry users from across Scotland’s west coast and has responsibility for inputting into the ferry operator’s asset management and operational decision making.

Joining us in the room are Angus Campbell, chair of the board and representative for the CalMac ferry service network, and Angus Duncan Campbell, board member for the Isle of Cumbrae. Joining us remotely, we have Kirsty MacFarlane, board member for the Isle of Coll. Thank you very much for accepting our invitation; we are delighted to have you here. We have around 75 minutes for this session.

I will open by asking the chair to briefly outline the remit and role of the ferries community board and explain how members are appointed.

Those are very important points that we are taking a keen interest in.

I will wind back a bit and ask the chair about input into the islands connectivity plan. We expect the plan to be broad and to cover some of the areas that Angus Duncan Campbell has just talked about. I am interested in the timescale. You are undertaking an extensive consultation across different communities. I do not want to put you on the spot by asking when it will be finished, but can you give us a rough idea of the timescale for completion? Are you confident that it will be done in time to properly influence the islands connectivity plan? My reason for asking is that we have heard that Transport Scotland might already be beginning the process of consulting on the long-term plan for vessels and ports, before consulting on community need.

I am trying to get a snapshot of your expectations and what you think is happening. Are we right to be concerned about what we have heard?

Got you.

Liam Kerr has a number of questions.

I am conscious of the time, so perhaps we can bring this session to a close. Angus Duncan Campbell, you may want to reply to Jackie Dunbar’s open questions and add anything else that you want, and we will then finish with the chair.