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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-17361

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-15888 by Humza Yousaf on 10 May 2018, what steps it took to ensure that a conflict of interest was avoided with the private sector (a) ferry operators and (b) consultant appointed by Audit Scotland to advise on the national audit of Transport Scotland’s ferry services.

Question reference: S5W-17257

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it paid Peter Brett Associates to produce Transport Scotland's Final Report - Appraisal of Options for Specification of 2018 Northern Isles Ferry Services, which was published on 25 April 2018.

Question reference: S5W-17255

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements have been made to Northern Isles Ferry Services in each year since June 2012; how each of these was funded, and whether these resulted in any benefits for (a) public expenditure on the services, (b) passengers, (c) staff and (d) businesses.

As part of their bid for the Northern Isles Ferry Service Public Service contract, Serco NorthLink Ferries made a number of improvements, details of which are available from the redacted version of the contract, which is on the Transport Scotland website at the attached link;

https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/ferries/ferry-services/#45751

The Scottish Ministers, as stipulated within the contract, may in terms of section 70 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 make grants on such conditions as they determine.

Specific examples of improvements made to the services include; a) subsidy reduction of 36% during the first four contract years, b) introduction of the Magnus Lounge for customers, c) Investors in People accreditation award for staff d) procurement of local products and services for business.

Question reference: S5W-17158

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the cost is to the public purse of procuring public services in the (a) rail and (b) lifeline ferry sector through the process of competitive tendering.

(a) I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-11184 on 20 September 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

(b) I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06946 on 23 February 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

It is not possible to give an indication of costs for a future procurement.

Question reference: S5W-17258

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland holds any contracts with external consultants that include the provision of advice on the (a) tender process and (b) contract specifications in the next contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services from October 2019 and, if so, what the (i) duration and (ii) value is of any such contracts.

Transport Scotland currently holds two contracts with external consultants for the provision of advice on the procurement of the ‎ Northern Isles and the Gourock-Dunoon Ferry Services. Both contracts took effect from April 2018. One contract is valued at £100,000 and will end when that financial limit is reached. The other contract has an annual estimated value of £60,000 and is expected to end at the conclusion of the procurement process for the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract in October 2019.

Question reference: S5W-17160

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with trade unions regarding its Scottish Maritime Strategy, and when it plans to publish this.

Question reference: S5W-17256

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates Transport Scotland has made of the additional contract cost from extending collectively bargained rates of pay to seafarers on all vessels chartered to deliver the next Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

Question reference: S5W-17259

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many bids from (a) public and (b) private sector companies it expects to receive for the next contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Question reference: S5W-17260

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to put the next contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services out to tender.

Question reference: S5W-17254

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme on routes in the current contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Our 2016 manifesto stated we will take action to reduce ferry fares to Orkney and Shetland. We have been working hard to try and meet that commitment as soon as it can be done.

On 22 August 2017, I announced plans to introduce reduced passenger and car fares within the first half of 2018. The announced fares options were:

Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) on the Scrabster – Stromness route; and
a variant of RET on the longer Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick routes.

Transport Scotland has been working with the commercial ferry operators on the Pentland Firth with the aim of reaching an agreement that provides compliance with State aid and Competition rules. This is a challenging and technical piece of work, however the Scottish Government continues to seek a positive outcome.

I am aware that there is keen interest in the Northern Isles for further news on this issue. Details on the way forward will be made available as soon as possible.

Should passengers who have already booked and paid for tickets travel after fares are reduced, ferry operators have agreed they will refund the difference.