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Capacity in peak periods is one of the challenges for our ferry services, particularly given the very welcome increase in passenger numbers which has followed the successful introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET).

Additional passenger and car capacity has been provided to the Stornoway-Ullapool service in the form of the deployment of the MV Loch Seaforth and the Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris communities will benefit from the additional capacity provided through the new major vessel under construction when she enters service in 2020.

Looking further ahead, a strategic transport appraisal commissioned from Peter Brett Associates is considering the long-term options for ferry services to, from and within the Western Isles, including the important Stornoway-Ullapool service. This appraisal started in early 2018 and is due to completed in early 2019.

The outcome of the strategic transport appraisal will be subject to detailed review, with full consideration of all options and consultation with communities and stakeholders prior to any future investment decision being undertaken for the Stornoway-Ullapool route.

BiFab was acquired by DF Barnes on 17 April 2018 as part of an agreement brokered by the Scottish Government to support new opportunities for fabrication and construction in the marine, renewables and energy sector.

The commitment of DF Barnes to securing a new future for the business at Arnish is a hugely positive step.

The Scottish Government has delivered on the commitment made last year to stand by BiFab and work to secure a long term future for the company. We have always been clear that there remains hard work ahead and that we will continue to engage closely with management and the union representatives as this progresses.

It is not within the Scottish Government’s gift to award contracts and it is ultimately a matter for BiFab to secure further work, which will need to be tendered for under a competitive process. However I am supportive of the ambition which DF Barnes have for BiFab, which will include long-term sustainable employment for the local economies which these yards serve.

There are currently no plans for a minister to visit St Brendan’s Hospital on Barra to discuss progress on plans to replace the present building.

Officials are however actively engaged with the NHS board regarding the development of their Property and Asset Management Strategy. This strategy sets out key issues and priorities associated with the management and performance of the boards’ facilities, equipment and other assets.

Implementation of the review of goose management is being taken forward, in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage, in line with the Scottish ministers announcement on 23 February this year. This includes consideration of how to take forward a range of measures such as supported self-help for scaring and the promotion of sport shooting where appropriate.

Furthermore, the Uist Greylag Goose Management Scheme is being funded through the Machair LIFE project for a four-year period from 2010. This scheme funds scaring and other management activities in order to minimise the impact of wild geese on crofters and farmers and to protect fragile crops.

A copy of Our Rural Future is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52511).

Core Purpose and Strategic Priorities

The new agency is to be established as a key national body supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education by:

leading and supporting the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence;

increasing the capacity for self-evaluation and self-improvement amongst education providers and practitioners;

promoting high quality professional learning and leadership;

identifying and stimulating innovation, sharing successful approaches widely with others;

providing independent external evaluations of the quality of educational provision at individual provider, local authority and partners, and national levels, and

supporting the development and implementation of policy at National Level.

Values and Operating Principles

The new agency will work in partnership alongside the full range of bodies and organisations active in the field of Scottish education, from local authorities to further and higher education, third sector and parent groups, according to their own statutory and other duties and capabilities. It will:

focus on delivering value and enhanced capacity to front-line providers and practitioners.

promote and support a climate of ambition that maximises effective local developments and implementation.

be capable of providing consistent, flexible and proportionate support, based on the presumption that the majority of educational establishments are well run organisations, not in need of major intervention;

have the capacity to intervene strongly wherever there is evidence that education providers are not ensuring satisfactory quality and standards through their own action;

be characterised by an ethos of trust, partnership openness, excellence, and accountability, and

be driven by end-user accountability, and committed to the continuous improvement of the quality of its own services.

Activity

The agency will inherit the full range of functions currently being undertaken by Her Majesty''s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS);

It will assume responsibility from the Scottish Government Learning Directorate for aspects of activity supporting Continuing Professional Development at national level;

Ministers, on the advice of Scottish Government policy departments, will continue to set policy and strategy for the public sector and the education system at a national level, including the broad framework of policy for scrutiny and inspection in each sector;

The agency will take over responsibility for the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board and Excellence Groups from October 2011, or when all major policy decisions have been agreed;

The agency will collate and analyse intelligence and data from all its support and improvement activities in Scotland, and knowledge of effective international practice. Other evidence and analysis functions will sit as currently with the Scottish Government;

On the formation of the agency on 1 July, there will be a seamless continuity in the operation of the various programmes run by these entities;

The continuous improvement of these programmes will be driven over time by the senior team and staff of the agency to best meet the strategic priorities set out above, and

Future changes in the agency''s activity and the timeframe for its implementation will be determined in concert with key delivery partners as appropriate.

Ethos

In order to most fulfil effectively its remit, the new agency will aim to be:

flexible, non-hierarchical, with open lines of communication throughout the organisation, and people coming together to work on specific projects according to their skills, interests and abilities;

expert in relationship management and the facilitation of highly effective collaborative partnership working, within and beyond the education sector, Scotland-wide and internationally, and

evidence-based, and capable of rapid, flexible response, but not rule bound and heavily bureaucratic.

Benefits

The key benefits to accrue from the establishment of the agency are:

a single point of contact for the range of support services currently offered;

improved flows of information, knowledge and skills between review activity and support activity that builds on existing local arrangements;

closer integration of the provision of support services among the organisations being brought together;

more proportionate, streamlined and flexible use of resources, to deliver against an over-arching strategy;

extension of the principle of earned autonomy and trust, enabling establishments to determine - with their natural partners - their own strengths/opportunities/development areas where they have demonstrated their ability to manage their development effectively, and

the opportunity to make full use of the experience and skills of staff coming into the organisation.

The output for each area would reflect the differences in:

Profile of housing stock types;

Fuel use distribution across each of those dwelling types;

Geographical differences such as latitude and elevation, and

Climatic variation such as the degree day region and average wind-speed.

The following table shows the estimated percentage for the differences in the principal heating system fuels and the difference overall.

Percentage Difference, by Area, of Heating Fuel Required Relative to Bristol

Source: Scottish House Condition Survey 2009.

QM was tasked to consider the following:

the best future delivery model for the functions currently carried out by HIAL;

company performance since 1999;

the internal structures of HIAL;

the government/HIAL working relationship, and

working relations with other stakeholders.

A joint HIAL/Scottish Government Steering Group was formed to guide the Review and the work of QM. QM''s final report was presented to the Scottish Government in April 2009 and a copy has been provided to the Scottish Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib number 52068).

The most significant conclusions from QM''s work were that:

HIAL''s current status as a public corporation is best in moving forward on the basis that it affords the Scottish Government an appropriate and cost effective level of control over air service provision in the Highlands and Islands;

the company should be afforded more flexibility on certain pay and staffing matters;

a review of operating costs, subsidy levels and potentially categorisation should be conducted for Wick and Campbeltown Airports;

the potential for operational efficiencies at Scatsta and Sumburgh Airports should be reviewed, and

consideration should be given to HIAL bringing Highlands and Islands local authority owned airports into the group.

For the reasons provided by QM, we agree with the conclusion that HIAL should remain a Public Corporation.

On more flexibility for the company on pay policy, we agree that this would be a reasonable consideration for the company and whilst it would be free to present a business case, it should be clarified that ministers are not minded at this point to remove from public sector pay policy rules those Scottish public bodies which they currently apply to.

Ministers remain committed to Wick and Campbeltown having appropriate transport connections. Whilst it is appropriate for HIAL to consider costs, subsidy levels and value for money at these airports, ministers believe that when considering the remoteness of the areas they serve and the lengthy surface connections which are often involved, their mainland status should not be a factor in any analysis or decisions taken.

The Scottish Government''s full response to the conclusions in QM''s report has been provided to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52068).

We will now draw up an action plan in consultation with HIAL covering those conclusions agreed.

Particular examples of marketing campaigns which help attract visitors to the Western Isles include: A Perfect Day; Autumn Moments, Meet the Scots and of course the visitor guide for the Outer Hebrides which is available in over 100 visitor information centres across Scotland.