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The Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan (VRDP) annual report is currently being drafted.

Updated growth forecasts for Clyde and Hebrides routes have been produced, based on 2017 and 2018 carryings.

The report will also take into account the findings now emerging from the Outer Hebrides, Mallaig & Armadale, and Craignure STAGs.

A draft report will be circulated to key stakeholders at the end of May and will be available for discussion at the next meetings of the regional Ferry Stakeholder Groups in June 2019.

We aim to publish the final report by the end of August 2019.

The decision to change the name of the group from the ‘Expert Ferry Group’ to the ‘Ferry Industry Advisory Group’ was taken in order to better reflect the remit and role of the group.

There is no change to the remit or function of the Group and after consideration it has been decided, for the time being, to continue with the current membership.

The Transport Scotland website will be updated in due course and the membership, terms of reference and minutes of meetings will be published.

The Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands separately meets with the STUC, and all the key unions with an interest in ferry services on a regular basis to discuss a range of relevant matters relating to the ferry services supported by the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland officials held ongoing discussions with CalMac Ferries Ltd. throughout the period of disruption, when MV Isle of Lewis experienced mechanical breakdown at Castlebay Ferry Terminal 14 April to 18 April 2019, due to a problem encountered with the vessel’s bow thrusters. These discussions included the reason for the mechanical failure, the progress of repairs, resilience measures to ensure lifeline connectivity throughout the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) network was maintained, and details of any cancelled, amended or additional sailings.

Discussions between officials and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) were not required, as discussions regarding technical issues with vessels fall within the remit of the vessel owners, CMAL, and the operator, CalMac.

The disruption impacted on;

(a) All sailings (1 return sailing each day) of MV Isle of Lewis were cancelled (Castlebay - Oban - Castlebay) on Sunday 14th April until Tuesday 16th April.

On Wednesday the 17th of April, the sailing from Castlebay departed late at 1345 arriving in Oban at 1830; departing Oban at 1900 and arriving in Castlebay at 2345. Normal scheduled service resumed on Thursday 18 April.

(b) Passengers were re-routed on the Mallaig-Lochboisdale service, which provided additional sailings to maintain lifeline connectivity. Additional sailings on the Sound of Barra were also made available to passengers. For Castlebay to Oban over the period 14 April to 17 April inclusive, there were 31 vehicles booked. For Oban to Castlebay there were 72 vehicles booked for the same period. Foot passengers are not required to book, therefore numbers affected are not available.

(c) There was minimal impact on MV Isle of Lewis crew members as they remained on board for the duration of the disruption. The MV Isle of Lewis crew changeover took place on Wednesday 15 April as planned, although slightly later than scheduled at 1830 instead of 1330.

An additional crew was brought in on call back to operate the additional sailings operated on the Sound of Barra route to maintain lifeline connectivity.

(d) CalMac undertook frequent communications with local businesses and hauliers. Commercial traffic was able to travel on the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route and across the Sound of Barra. CalMac informed the local community as soon as the vessel was repaired. On Wednesday 17 April, MV Isle of Lewis sailed to Oban and returned outside of the normal timetable to reduce the effects on businesses as much as possible.

Between June 2016 and June 2018 there were a total of sixteen meetings between Ministers and/or Transport Scotland officials and Pentland Ferries regarding the potential introduction of reduced ferry fares to Orkney. Ministers participated in four of these meetings, with support from officials.

In addition, there have been a number of related telephone discussions which took place over the same period between Pentland Ferries and Transport Scotland officials.

Pentland Ferries are a wholly private, commercial unlimited company, and as such it is their decision to take on what data is made publically available. However, I am aware that Transport Scotland officials have previously requested such information from Pentland Ferries without success.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with Dumfires and Galloway Health & Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) as part of their active engagement with the Scottish Government's Improving GP Sustainability Working Group. As part of this work officials, including professional advisers undertook a series of GP practice visits in the Dumfries and Galloway area in February 2019 to offer further support.

They are currently exploring opportunities to help improve recruitment and retention through working with the Scottish Government funded Scottish Rural Medical Collaborative (SRMC). They are also working on improving GP wellbeing due to the tragic incident of a GP who took their own life in Lockerbie last year.

Our strategy to recruit and retain GPs underpins our commitment to recruit 800 additional practicing GPs by 2027, and is backed but our commitment to invest an additional £250 million in direct support of general practice by the end of this parliament.

MV Isle of Lewis’ most recent period in dry dock for scheduled annual maintenance work was 28 January to 14 February 2019.

The cost of repairs to the vessel after the technical incident at Castlebay Ferry Terminal on Barra in April 2019 was £4,189.

Consultants acting on behalf of Transport Scotland are currently conducting an extensive, network-wide evaluation of RET, which will focus on the 2015 roll out routes, and feature secondary data analysis for the full network. The evaluation is due to conclude around the end of 2019.

This study will determine the medium to long-term effects of RET across the network as a whole and help to inform future policy relating to RET and ensure that decisions are taken in full cognisance of all relevant issues and challenges.

The Scottish Government's national cancer strategy ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ was launched in March 2016 alongside a commitment to spend £100 million over 5 years to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of those affected by all forms of cancer across the whole of Scotland, including Dumfries and Galloway.

We do not intend to publish the Parking Standards document until the Transport (Scotland) Bill has been passed by the Scottish Parliament and the relevant parking provisions have been commenced. This will ensure that any changes to the parking provisions at Stages 2 and 3 can be taken into account in the standards, ensuring that they are fully aligned with the legislation and that the powers conferred by the Bill to publish the standards are fully in force.

It is also our intention to undertake a public consultation on the draft parking standards after the Bill has passed. In the meantime, we continue to engage with stakeholders through our Parking Standards Working Group on the development of the document.