Official Report 432KB pdf
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-20957, in the name of Jamie Greene, on fixing Scotland’s ferries fiasco.
15:57
Presiding Officer, I have been accused, over the years, of banging on about ferries in the chamber, and that is absolutely right. If you had told me 10 years ago, when I first spoke about ferries in the chamber, that the 23-year-old MV Caledonian Isles would now be 33 years old, that it would have broken down for 20 months while in service, that hull 802 in Port Glasgow would still not be carrying any passengers, that the Irish berth at Ardrossan would still be lying in tatters, that the Glen Sannox would have launched seven and a half years late at a cost of £140 million and that it would have gone offline for repairs for months due to design problems after less than a year in service, that the Ardrossan ferry would now be sailing out of Troon instead, and that all the ferries issues that I spoke to in my maiden speech would be featuring so prominently in one of my last speeches, my answer back then would have been, “I really do hope that won’t the case, for the sake of our island communities.” Yet here we are, some 10 years on. It is the same chamber and the same me—perhaps aged a little bit since then—addressing the same sorry saga of cancelled crossings, stranded tourists and missed appointments.
We are supposed to be a proud seafaring nation, yet we have a ferries strategy fit for Luxembourg. Let us start with those two now infamous ferries, the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa. Everyone from Unst to Arran knows the story. It has been the subject of numerous committee reports, Audit Scotland critique and endless exposés unearthed by journalists and by furious and frustrated taxpayers through freedom of information requests. It is the stuff that textbooks will use as a case study for decades, to teach marine engineers and, hopefully, Governments how not to build a ferry. Both of those ferries were announced with huge fanfare at the Scottish National Party’s conference back in 2015. They were supposed to set sail in 2018, and they were supposed to cost £97 million in total. I bet that is a promise that the SNP now wishes it had never made—because, eight years and some £400 million of taxpayers’ money later, the Glen Rosa is still not finished and the Glen Sannox, delivered only last year, has been out of action for more than three months. In fact, they have had to rip parts out of the Rosa to repair the Sannox.
Those were supposed to be our flagship net zero marine machines. They were supposed to cast off the idea of dirty diesel engines in favour of that darling of civil servants, liquefied natural gas—the same LNG that caused so much of the delay and so many problems. For what purpose? We are not even producing LNG in Scotland—it gets shipped in from Qatar to a terminal in Kent. It gets driven 460 miles in a diesel road tanker to Scotland and, even then, we have nowhere to store if. It is barely, if ever, used on the ferry that it was designed to be used on—a ferry that was designed for a harbour that it could not sail from. That is a genius idea if ever I heard one.
Of course, there is also the Ferguson Marine shipyard in my own backyard of Inverclyde. It was nationalised by the Government in 2019. Since then, four chief executives have been sacked or have resigned and £3 million has been paid in salaries, golden hellos, golden goodbyes, bonuses and consultancy fees. Six transport secretaries later, not one of them has ever resigned. We can be grateful that the current Cabinet Secretary for Transport has, to her credit, shown determination and commitment to getting stuff done. I am delighted with the announcement yesterday of the four new vessels being built at the yard. That is exactly the type and profile of work that the yard can excel at—I hope we all agree.
However, the yard needs to get the contract first. When I spoke to people in the yard last night, many were sceptical about the Government’s announcement yesterday. The first stage of the small vessel replacement programme was awarded to Gdánsk, not to Greenock. Other contracts have been awarded to Turkey. The Parliament—including many on the Scottish National Party back benches—called for a direct award on all those occasions and the Government replied that it simply could not do it. Now, we are told that it can.
There is a massive difference between announcing an intention to award a contract and announcing the award of a contract. Yesterday, we heard the former, not the latter, so we have no idea whether ministers have sought Competition and Markets Authority approval or whether such approval has been denied or granted. None of that was in the statement. How do we know that it will not be denied again? For more than a decade, we have heard the words “Teckal” and “state aid” bandied around to explain why direct award was problematic. I might be long in the tooth and a bit suspicious, but I will believe it when I see it. The yard deserves nothing less.
I will sum up the motion and why it was right to use my first—and last—Lib Dem party business slot to focus on the plight of Scotland’s island communities. One major ferry is massively overdue. A new one is already out for repair. Another does not fit the harbour that it is supposed to sail from. New ferries are being built overseas, not here in Scotland, and we have an ageing fleet that breaks down, leaving islanders feeling like second-class citizens. It is a mess that has been two decades in the making. It has been a shameful episode in Scotland’s devolved political chapter, and I never have—and never will—apologise for raising it in the chamber.
I move,
That the Parliament believes that many of Scotland’s island and coastal communities have been let down by the Scottish Government and have paid the price for the failure of the Scottish Ministers to provide them with the lifeline ferries they need; recognises that this has had an impact on businesses, livelihoods and local economies; notes that whilst the Scottish Government extended the Islands Business Resilience Fund, there are many impacted coastal communities, such as Dunoon and Ardrossan, where local businesses are not receiving compensation and calls on the Scottish Government to rectify this; notes with frustration that the delivery of the MV Glen Rosa has been delayed by another six months until late 2026 and that the MV Glen Sannox required months of repairs; believes that taxpayers, islanders and workers at Ferguson Marine have all been let down over this ongoing fiasco and expresses deep disappointment that no minister has ever taken responsibility by resigning, and further believes that Scotland’s island and coastal communities deserve better and that new requirements to replace ageing vessels are needed alongside a rolling 30-year strategy for ferries and port infrastructure so that no community is ever left without a viable lifeline service.
16:03
This debate is helpfully timed to allow me to build on my statement yesterday to the Parliament. Yesterday, I chaired a meeting of the Ardrossan task force to discuss next steps; this morning, I met CalMac Ferries to discuss its response to the operational challenges, and I met Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd to discuss the various vessel and port investment projects that I referred to in my statement. Finally, I had the pleasure of visiting the newest addition to the fleet, the MV Isle of Islay.
The motion asks for a 30-year investment plan. In May, we published the islands connectivity vessel and ports plan, which set out our plan until 2045. That is based on an assumed vessel operational life of 30 years and commits that we will
“reduce the average age of the total fleet … to around 15 years by the end of this decade”.
In addition, we have committed that the plan will be
“fully updated every five years so that there is always a 20-25 year forward look.”
That plan is well under way.
In addition to the MV Isle of Islay, her three sister ships are under construction, along with seven small vessels. I had an update on that from CMAL only this morning. When taken together with the addition to the fleet of the MV Glen Rosa, that means that one third of the entire CalMac fleet is being replaced. The plan also commits to providing a major vessel for resilience purposes until at least 2030, to minimise disruption and ensure that services are maintained.
Yesterday, as well as announcing that we will soon move to tender on the replacement for the MV Lord of the Isles, I announced the proposal to directly award the contract for two of the small vessel replacement scheme vessels to Ferguson Marine. We will soon make an announcement on the replacements for the Northern Isles freight vessels. I say to Jamie Greene that all the steps that need to be taken as regards CMA engagement, subsidy control and so on will be taken for the proposed award. We are now far more confident that we will be able procure the vessels in that way, which is why I made yesterday’s announcement.
I also confirmed that I have approved funding for the redevelopment of Port Ellen. I am pleased to confirm that CMAL will award the £107 million contract to completely redevelop Port Ellen this week.
With regard to Ardrossan, the negotiations on purchase and wider legal agreements have now been concluded, and those will be signed shortly to confirm the harbour’s purchase by CMAL this month. That was discussed last night by the task force.
Beyond that, we will continue to invest in new vessels and ports, and our programme of community needs assessments is under way. The outputs will inform future service design and the business cases for the pipeline of vessel and port projects.
The provision of ferry services is not only about new vessels and ports; it is also about how they are run. We are approaching the end of the first period of the new Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract, following the direct award to CalMac in October. Those arrangements, which represent a step change in how services are delivered, were intended to bring flexibility and a community focus to the heart of operations. As was mentioned when I met CalMac this morning, the company is on a journey that involves a process of constant learning, as part of which key performance indicators are embedded in every part of its business.
For the Northern Isles ferry services, I can confirm that, this morning, we published the prior information notice. That is the initial phase in the procurement process for the next contract, which will be in place from the end of June 2028.
The introduction by the Government of road equivalent tariff has significantly reduced ferry fares on the Clyde and Hebrides network, and it saves ferry travellers around £25 million per year. We will fully retain RET for islanders and non-islanders alike.
Yesterday, Ariane Burgess raised the question of freight fares across the network. She highlighted not just the absolute level of freight fares but their level relative to charges for other vehicles. I can confirm that, starting this summer, Transport Scotland will undertake a review that will encompass those issues. Of course, I cannot prejudge the outcome of that review, but I hope that that confirmation is welcome.
We recognise that island businesses have experienced more than their fair share of disruption. That is why we created the islands business resilience fund and expanded its scope to include Coll, Tiree, the small isles, Mull, Iona, Ulva, Barra, Vatersay, Islay and Jura. It was essential that the fund remained tightly targeted so that the support was credible. I can confirm that the full £4.4 million will be deployed, and I can announce that we have uplifted the rate of awards to strengthen the resilience of small businesses that face the impacts of disruption.
That all sits alongside the vision of the national islands plan, which sets out a refreshed programme of actions to address the broader challenges and opportunities that our islands face.
I recognise the challenges that island communities have faced and the need to provide them with reliable and resilient services, which is why we are taking the range of actions that I have outlined and will continue to invest in those communities.
I move amendment S6M-20957.3, to leave out from first “believes” to end and insert:
“recognises the challenges that island communities have faced with disruptions and the need to give them reliable and resilient services; supports the announcements made by the Scottish Government on 3 March 2026 of the conclusion of the purchase of Ardrossan Harbour, the proposal to directly award two vessels for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme to Ferguson Marine, the competitive tender for the replacement for the MV Lord of the Isles, funding for the Port Ellen redevelopment on Islay, and that peak fares for islanders on NorthLink ferry services will be removed on 24 March 2026; notes that, with 11 vessels currently being built and with the recent arrival of MV Isle of Islay, one third of the entire CalMac fleet is being replaced, and further notes that the Island Connectivity Plan Vessels and Ports Plan sets out a long-term investment programme to 2045, and that community needs assessments, with community engagement at their heart, will shape these investments in ferries and ports for decades to come.”
16:08
I am pleased to speak in support of the motion that was lodged by Jamie Greene on fixing Scotland’s ferry fiasco.
For too long, Scotland’s islands and coastal communities have been treated as an afterthought by the SNP Government. Lifeline ferries are not a luxury or a seasonal extra—they are essential infrastructure. They are the arteries that keep island and coastal economies alive, by connecting people to work, education, healthcare and family.
However, Scotland’s ferry fiasco has been going on since 2014. The two vessels at the heart of the scandal—the MV Glen Sannox and the MV Glen Rosa—were originally budgeted to cost £97 million. Their combined cost has now reached almost £500 million, and both were meant to be in service in 2018-19. Instead, islanders have endured years of delay, disruption and uncertainty.
The MV Glen Sannox finally entered service in January 2025, and it has already required multiple periods of repair. The MV Glen Rosa has been delayed again, with delivery pushed back to the very end of 2026. The most recent delay alone has added another £12.5 million to the cost of completing the vessels, with the total cost since nationalisation of the yard now standing at £197.5 million.
What do islanders hear from ministers? They hear that the Government is carefully assessing the information that is provided, and that the situation is a source of great frustration. However, frustration is not accountability, and careful assessment is not delivery. Not one minister has resigned or taken responsibility. That is why my amendment explicitly notes that the combined cost of the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa has reached almost £500 million. Taxpayers deserve to know how that was allowed to happen and how ministers will ensure that it never happens again.
Yesterday, the Scottish Government announced four direct awards to Ferguson Marine, a programme to upgrade the yard and an intention to return it to the private sector. If that is the strategy, ministers must clearly outline how those new vessels will be delivered on time and on budget. Warm words and press releases will not rebuild public trust.
Meanwhile, CalMac has spent more than £260 million over 11 years maintaining an ageing fleet. In 2024-25 alone, upkeep costs reached £50.1 million—double what they were just two years earlier. The average age of a CalMac lifeline vessel is now more than 25 years. In 1974, the typical ferry was just 13 years old. That is not progress; it is managed decline. Communities such as Dunoon and Ardrossan have faced repeated disruption, yet many local businesses are not eligible for compensation under the islands business resilience fund, despite clearly being affected. That is unfair and must be rectified.
In what I would describe as a very timely announcement yesterday, the Government has also set out its intention to purchase Ardrossan harbour. If that deal proceeds, ministers must provide regular updates on when the purchase will be completed and when the long-overdue upgrade will be delivered, because communities deserve clarity and certainty, not continued speculation.
In Ardrossan, the MV Caledonian Isles was out of action for 20 months for repairs costing nearly £12 million. On Arran, the MV Alfred has been chartered at a cost that has already reached £35 million, which is more than double what it cost Pentland Ferries to build the vessel.
Will the member take an intervention on that point?
I will not, Mr Gibson, as I have very limited time and quite a significant amount to carry on with.
That figure will rise further now that the charter has been extended. That is not strategic fleet management; it is short-term crisis management.
Island and coastal communities have experienced repeated timetable changes, cancelled sailings and the absence of a real resilience vessel when breakdowns occur. Public services, local businesses, tourism and supply chains have all been hindered by that mismanagement.
The question is simple. How will the Scottish Government hold the ferry service providers to account to ensure that they deliver for island and coastal communities? Islanders and taxpayers deserve transparency and competence, and they deserve better than this.
Let me be clear: no one in the chamber doubts the dedication of workers at Ferguson Marine or the crews operating our ferry services. They are doing their utmost in extremely difficult circumstances. The failure here is not theirs. It lies with ministers, who have presided over years of delay, poor oversight and a lack of forward planning.
What Scotland needs now is a credible long-term strategy. We need a rolling 30-year plan for ferries and ports infrastructure, so that no community is ever left again without a viable lifeline service.
Ms Webber, you must conclude.
In conclusion, it is time to stop Scotland’s ferry fiasco. It is time to restore trust.
I move amendment S6M-20957.2, to insert at end:
“; notes that the combined costs of the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa has reached almost £500 million; acknowledges the Scottish Government’s announcements of four direct awards to Ferguson Marine, a programme to upgrade the yard, and the intention to return the yard to the private sector; urges ministers to outline how these new vessels will be delivered on time and on budget; notes the Scottish Government’s plan to purchase Ardrossan Harbour, and urges ministers to regularly update communities on when the purchase and upgrade of the harbour will be completed; further notes that the cost to charter the MV Alfred has reached £35 million, more than double the cost for Pentland Ferries to build the vessel, and that this cost will increase now that the charter has been extended; recognises that the public services and local economies of island and coastal communities have been hindered by the Scottish Government’s mismanagement of the ferry network through repeated timetable changes, cancelled sailings and the lack of a resilience vessel, and calls on the Scottish Government to outline how it will hold ferry service providers to account to ensure that they deliver for island and coastal communities.”
I call Rhoda Grant, who joins us remotely, to speak to and move amendment S6M-20957.1.
16:13
As the cabinet secretary said, we had a statement yesterday that tried to draw a line under the ferry fiasco, but, sadly, it did not. We are still seeing prolonged dry-dock periods for both the new ferry and the older vessels in the fleet.
Making pre-election promises does not cut it with communities that have suffered years of disruption. People are missing health appointments, weddings and funerals, and they have to leave for events earlier than they should just to be sure to make appointments. That adds costs and takes money out of the pockets of islanders. Local businesses struggle, their losses mounting up, and haulage providers are disrupted—every aspect of island life is impacted.
We called for the fines that are levied on CalMac for contract breaches to be used as a resilience fund to support impacted island businesses. Instead, a one-off fund was set up in a way that caused more division, pitting community against community. Division is also caused by some routes being given more priority than others when it comes to getting the best boats or having their timetables disrupted.
That uncertainty means that services fail and businesses face increasing costs. Businesses have left the islands because they cannot work in these operating conditions. Indeed, it is only because of the resilience of businesses and their commitment to their communities that they have continued to operate under these conditions. However, they cannot do that indefinitely.
The situation impacts on the hospitality industry. Bookings are cancelled, and tour companies no longer take bus tours to many islands, because there is nothing that they can do to accommodate 40 people when a ferry has been cancelled at short notice.
That has a dire impact on the economy of our islands and it increases depopulation. The Government says that it is trying to stop depopulation but, in practice, its actions or inaction have caused it. What is really wrong at the core of the Government is its motto, “Put off until tomorrow anything that you cannot be bothered doing today.” The ferry fiasco shows the danger of that approach, because to put right such omissions in the future takes longer and needs many more resources. The whole of Scotland is suffering from that approach, which, whether it is in relation to health or education, has let citizens down.
Scotland needs a Government that is not afraid to act and that does not put off until tomorrow what really needs to be done today. We need a Government that will put in place a sustainable rolling programme of ferry replacement to ensure that our island communities are never again left in that position. That is what Scotland needs.
I move amendment S6M-20957.1, to insert at end:
“; notes that disruption to ferry timetables is ongoing and continues to impact island communities; agrees that communities must receive support to deal with the economic and social impacts of disruption; calls for local representation ferry agency boards so that the needs of island communities and workers are at the heart of decision making; understands that the root cause of the ferry fiasco is the failure to invest in the ferry fleet and replace ageing vessels, and calls on the Scottish Government to have a rolling programme to replace the fleet going forward.”
I call on Maggie Chapman to open on behalf of the Scottish Greens.
16:17
I am grateful to the Liberal Democrats for bringing this important debate to the chamber, because Scotland’s island and coastal communities deserve much better. I will focus on a specific injustice that often goes unmentioned: the cost of freight. I acknowledge and appreciate the comments that the cabinet secretary made in her opening remarks.
We often talk about passenger fares, and rightly so. However, for our island and coastal communities, the real inequality bites with the cost of transporting freight on Scotland’s ferries—and that is when those ferries run at all. Put simply, the cost of ferry freight adds roughly 30 per cent to the cost of building a home on our islands; that is not a rounding error but a structural injustice that is baked into island life.
Yesterday, in the chamber, my colleague Ariane Burgess highlighted the stark disparity in pricing. Large motorhomes can cross by ferry at about the quarter of the cost of a truck that brings building materials, food or other essential goods that communities depend on. Across the network, commercial fares are far higher than those for motorhomes.
However, the disparity is inconsistent. On the Oban to Craignure and Lochaline to Fishnish routes to Mull, commercial fares are three times higher than those for motorhomes. For Tiree, they are 22 per cent higher; for Barra, 27 per cent higher. Why is the fare for a heavy goods vehicle that is heading to Mull three times the price of that for a motorhome, while to Arran—a similar distance—it is only twice as expensive? That makes no sense, and it is not fair.
That is not just a logistical or accounting problem but an equalities issue, and it is fuelling depopulation across our islands. Scotland faces a housing emergency, and island communities are in no way exempt. In many ways, they bear its full weight. When the cost of building materials is inflated simply because of freight charges, affordable housing becomes almost impossible. Councils, community housing enablers and housing associations cannot deliver at the scale that communities need.
The result is that people are living in unsuitable homes, waiting lists are growing and homelessness is rising. That disproportionately affects women, people on low incomes and young people who are trying to stay in the communities that they grew up in, as Rhoda Grant has already alluded to.
The ferry freight system is not neutral. It concentrates disadvantage. We cannot seriously address depopulation or the housing emergency in Scotland’s islands while those freight charges remain unreformed.
High freight charges ripple through the cost of every staple good: food, healthcare supplies and energy. Island residents are paying more than their mainland counterparts, and people with disabilities face particular hardship when medical equipment, mobility aids or care supplies are subject to inflated freight costs. There is, in effect, a postcode lottery for basic human needs, and that should be unacceptable in 21st century Scotland.
So, what do we want? Scottish Greens have been calling on the Scottish Government to commit to a review of commercial freight charges. The review must aim to apply a fair, pro rata charge for vehicles; remove the punitive costs that currently apply to commercial traffic; consider the impact on housing delivery so that we confront the 30 per cent premium that makes island house building unnecessarily difficult; and reform pricing structures to reflect social need—just as passenger fares have been reformed—and examine the equality impacts on island communities.
Scotland’s island communities are not peripheral—they are central to who we are. We will not retain vibrant, equitable communities if we allow freight charges to price out affordable housing and small businesses, and widen inequality year after year. That is just one element of ferries infrastructure and strategy that we need to change and get right.
A review of freight charges is needed, and I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for confirming today that that review will happen later this year.
We move to the open debate.
16:21
Ferries are critical infrastructure for Scotland’s islands—islands that are, according to Scottish Government social media posts, “central to Scotland’s future”. No community should be left without viable lifeline services or experience the ferries fiasco that is outlined in the motion.
Coincidentally, we heard again today at lunch time, at a meeting of the cross-party group on islands, convened by Jamie Halcro Johnston, about how critical it is that island communities have reliable ferries. It will come as no surprise to members in the chamber that my contribution today will focus on the northern isles.
The transport secretary said yesterday that the total of 1,100 responses that Transport Scotland received to its northern isles ferry service consultation was
“substantial for a project of this nature”—[Official Report, 3 March 2026; c 19.]
In contrast to the cabinet secretary, however, I am not surprised by how many responses were received. In 2023, I undertook a survey on the NorthLink passenger service—it received more than 1,000 responses. I sent the results to the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland and received lukewarm platitudes, yet the issues that respondents raised were the same in 2023—
Will the member give way on that point?
I do not have any time; I am going to continue.
Yet the issues that respondents raised were the same in 2023 as those that Transport Scotland reported in 2025.
I first raised the seasonal fares policy in 2021. The scrapping of peak seasonal fares for islanders on the northern isles ferry service will be a relief for island residents, who rely on the lifeline service all year round. The unfair fare structure became untenable after peak rail fares were scrapped. The Scottish Government, however, did not seriously engage on the issue until recently, and it has not escaped the notice of islanders that the announcement comes just before an election.
There are many other on-going issues with the northern isles ferry service that the Government could address if it were so minded. I have long called for a new rolling system of bookings. Cliff-edge dates, beyond which bookings are closed, make forward planning difficult, while at the same time islanders are advised by the operator to book well in advance. Passengers struggle to secure bookings for cabins on the dates on which they need to travel, and even more so if they need to take their cars.
The complexities of transporting time-sensitive freight exports from Shetland constrain local businesses and their ability to expand. High-value produce from Shetland such as seafood and livestock needs to get to market on time. Transport haulage companies in Shetland have told me of the investment and time that are required to navigate the limitations of freight capacity and meet customer demand. Work needs to be done now to procure extra tonnage to address that while the tender process is under way for the new freight flex vessels, as it will be years before those vessels are in service.
Meanwhile, despite my raising the issue repeatedly, Transport Scotland seems to be caught out each autumn by the requirements of the annual livestock sales, with little forward planning evident.
Will the member take an intervention on that point?
I have no time—sorry.
A prior long-standing policy of allowing sharing of cabins offered many people a cheaper, more comfortable way to travel. However, that was initially suspended due to Covid-19, and it never returned.
Its removal is continually raised by my constituents, and I have repeatedly put the issue to the Scottish Government. I have never received a satisfactory answer as to why the change became permanent. No consultation took place with the community. The nebulous comment that it relates to safety does not hold up to scrutiny, given both the concerns raised about the behaviour of some passengers in the communal sleeping areas and the acknowledgement, and seemingly tacit approval, by ministers, the operator and Transport Scotland of social media pages for passengers to arrange shared cabins themselves, thereby ensuring that any operator liability for that arrangement is negated.
The removal of shared cabins is a troubling indictment of the lack of consideration for and understanding of the needs of those who rely on the service. Islanders in receipt of concessionary vouchers for two free return journeys have, in essence, had their entitlement halved as a consequence of the change of the shared cabin policy. When I raise the issue, Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government simply say that a voucher covers a pod or a chair, but that consistently fails to recognise that those with concessionary vouchers often have the greatest need to lie flat for a 14-hour voyage on the North Sea.
There is so much more that I could say on ferries, but time is not on my side. To conclude: islanders are not asking for special favours. To meet lifeline needs, they must have reliable ferry services.
16:26
I first pay tribute to the cabinet secretary, Fiona Hyslop. Today we heard her last speech after 27 years serving her constituents in this Parliament, 17 of them in government. To be known as a woman who got things done, including the redevelopment of Ardrossan harbour and serving flourishing communities, will be one of her many positive legacies. We will miss you, Fiona. [Applause.]
I will discuss some of the ferry problems that are impacting my constituents, as it is important to recognise those. However, it is also important to recognise that there have been tangible improvements in our ferry services since 2007. Across the network, passenger and car numbers before the Covid pandemic were up by 25 per cent and 43 per cent respectively. That was thanks to the SNP Government’s introduction of road equivalent tariff in 2014, in relation to which I campaigned to ensure the inclusion of the Clyde islands. Return fares from Ardrossan to Brodick today are £10.20 for passengers and £41 for cars. When Labour and the Liberal Democrats left office 19 years ago, those fares were £10.30 and £75. Had those fares risen with inflation, trips to Arran would be completely unaffordable. That is the reality of Labour-Lib Dem ferry policy.
The implementation of RET was visionary. It led to cheaper fares, boosting employment and businesses in many fragile island communities. In 2007, Brodick had only one service, backed by the geriatric MV Saturn, for six weeks each summer, during which an average of 14.2 per cent of sailings were lost due to mechanical failure. How things have changed since then. We have seen £32 million invested in Brodick harbour. Arran’s Lochranza service has improved markedly, with six Sunday return sailings to Claonaig and Tarbert in winter, instead of just one, on the much bigger MV Catriona. That has increased the number of visits to Lochranza, its distillery and the rest of Arran, which has boosted local employment.
However, we cannot gloss over some substantial problems, which have been exacerbated by increasing demand. Arran has seen constant vessel redeployment and timetable changes, with far too few sailings from Ardrossan. Reliance on using the facilities at Troon last year meant fewer sailings and longer journey times. It curtailed day-tripper numbers, making it more difficult for islanders to attend mainland hospital appointments and funerals and to visit family. Supply chains and commuting patterns, including for NHS and care workers travelling to Arran, were disrupted.
Yesterday and today saw all Arran to Ardrossan sailings cancelled, as the MV Caledonian Isles developed yet another technical failure barely five months after returning from previous repairs. The Glen Sannox has been out for more than four months for warranty works, and vibrational issues must be sorted out for both that vessel and the Glen Rosa. However, to put that into context, even in 2025—which was one of the worst years that I can recall for disruption—there were more sailings to and from Brodick than in any year that Labour and the Lib Dems were in office. For Cumbrae, CalMac proposes to change the way that the route has functioned for 40 years and to double vessel turnaround time. Health and safety issues were recently cited, but they were not in 2024, when the cabinet secretary vetoed an identical move. It is a move that islanders want rejected, and one that the Cumbrae ferry users group and I will discuss with the cabinet secretary next week.
With Ardrossan harbour safely back in public hands, millions of pounds will be invested in redeveloping it to deliver the regular, accessible and reliable ferry services that Arran needs, bringing prosperity to both the island and Ardrossan.
At last night’s meeting of the Ardrossan harbour task force, the cabinet secretary committed to delivering compensation to businesses that will be impacted when Ardrossan harbour undergoes full redevelopment. In due course, the Scottish ministers will outline who will qualify, together with the resource allocation. It would be helpful if the Lib Dems could explain in their closing remarks which communities, such as Dunoon and Ardrossan, which are mentioned in their motion, should be compensated now, as they propose, the mechanism for that delivery, how much it will cost and from where in the budget funding for it should be found.
In addition to the MV Isle of Islay, which is shortly due to enter service, 11 vessels are currently under construction. That will increase CalMac’s fleet capacity, improve reliability and strengthen network resilience. Things have not been easy for our island communities in recent years, but with record investment and CalMac operating more sailings to Arran and serving more routes than ever before, the future now looks brighter.
16:30
I thank the Liberal Democrats, particularly Jamie Greene, for bringing the debate to Parliament. Over the past 10 years, he and I have shared many committee meetings where we looked at hulls 801 and 802, and it is those vessels that I will concentrate on today.
When I was at school, when we were learning about history and Henry VIII, we were taught a little rhyme that went, “Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived”. When it comes to teaching how the Government handled hulls 801 and 802, we will be reminded that it was a case of, “Redesigned, replaced, repurposed”. When it comes to ministers, or anyone in Transport Scotland or CMAL, the one “R” that is missing from that saying is that no one was removed.
I am sure that I do not need to remind members of the many ministers who have presided over the ferries fiasco. We have had Derek Mackay, Humza Yousaf, Graeme Dey, Jenny Gilruth, Kevin Stewart and Fiona Hyslop, who, in her second incarnation when it comes to ferries, seems to be doing a lot better. We have had cabinet secretaries in the form of Michael Matheson, Màiri McAllan and now Fiona Hyslop again.
In all the time that I have been considering the ferries issue, I have not seen anyone being fired over this fiasco. I do not need to remind members, because we have already been reminded, that the contract was awarded in 2015, and it was 2017 when the—as it appeared to be at that stage—floating bathtub that was to become the Glen Sannox was launched. When those contracts were awarded, we knew that most yards across the world were working on the basis of five stage payments when it came to ferries, but—oh, no—the Scottish Government decided to work with 18 stage payments. When the yard was eventually nationalised, we paid £82 million of the £97 million, but we did not even have a ferry that was fit for purpose.
Then things got progressively worse. We end up now, as we have been told, with £460 million having been spent on the ferries, with additional loans to Ferguson Marine of £15 million and £30 million. Interestingly, no one knew that the two loans were going ahead; they went ahead sort of independently.
If we look at the total money that has been spent on the Ferguson Marine yard, it is about £1.5 million per employee. Members should let that sink in—£1.5 million per employee. Do I begrudge them that? Not a bit of it, in the sense that it is not the employees who are at fault here but the management, together with the Government’s failure to manage the situation. Let me be clear: the Government might think that it can argue that we have value for money, but, when the Glen Sannox was insured the other day, it was insured for £50 million. That is the rebuild cost. We know that building it has cost four times that amount. The market says that it would cost £50 million to replace the Glen Sannox, but look at how much we have paid.
As we come to the end of the debate, my question is, who has lost their job? No one in Transport Scotland. I can point to one or two civil servants who have moved sideways and then been promoted to other jobs. I can point to a few ministers who have moved sideways and then been promoted to other jobs. One or two ministers have disappeared out of the Parliament for other reasons, but we will not go into that.
What have the islanders got for that? They have lost business and they have lost out on receiving care—they have genuinely lost out. For that, the Parliament should be ashamed. I hope that the Government will hang its head when it comes to this ferry fiasco.
Before I close, I will just say that I have appreciated the companionship of Fiona Hyslop in the Parliament. I have enjoyed working alongside her—not always with her, and sometimes against her—and she has always done so with good humour, which has made my time in the Parliament all the richer.
16:34
I remind members of my voluntary register of trade union interests.
It never ceases to amaze me that something just as distinctively and as quintessentially Scottish as our islands and the ferry links to them, which are a social and economic necessity, have been treated so badly by this Scottish National Party Government. That goes from the former First Minister famously telling BBC’s Glenn Campbell,
“I didn’t say ‘don’t go ahead’”,
on the ordering of vessels 801 and 802, to the current First Minister, in an email exchange on the same subject—which, by amazing grace, once was lost but now is found—confirming the absence of banana skins. In between, we witnessed the Scottish Government being sued by the Scottish Government—or, at least, the ferry company that the Scottish Government is the sole shareholder of—in a dispute over the northern isles routes.
When I hear the Conservatives wrapping themselves in their arid ideology and spouting their dry dogma obsessed with private enterprise and the free market, I say to them gently that Ferguson Marine is in public ownership because private ownership failed.
It was the Government that failed.
It was private ownership.
In fact, because of persistent pressure from this Parliament’s Public Audit Committee, the Government has been required to bring in the accountants—[Interruption.]
Mr Leonard, please resume your seat for a second. I am looking at two members who are having a conversation across the chamber from sedentary positions, which is disrespectful to the member who has the floor.
Mr Leonard, please continue.
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Let me return to this point: because of persistent pressure from this Parliament’s Public Audit Committee, the Government has been required to bring in the accountants Grant Thornton to conduct a forensic audit to track down exactly where £124 million of public money went when the yard was in private ownership. Yesterday in Parliament, I asked the Deputy First Minister when that forensic audit will be published, but I did not get an answer. So I ask the Government the same question again today: when will this forensic audit be published?
There is another, wider point that I want to make about private ownership, which is this. When I recently sought information on ferry delays and cancellations from the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, I was told in a written answer, which was released just two days ago, that
“Western Ferries and Pentland Ferries… are both privately owned and operated companies”,
so
“The Scottish Government does not hold this information.”—[Written Answers, 2 March 2026; S6W-43859]
I might add that neither Western Ferries nor Pentland Ferries is within the current scope of freedom of information laws, which Katy Clark is giving this Parliament an opportunity to reform. There is a real lack of transparency and accountability over the delivery of public services paid for by public funds.
That leads me to the northern isles ferry routes operated by Serco. Passenger revenue is up over the past decade by 40 per cent, but public subsidy is up by nearly 300 per cent. So what we have is a monopoly, and the question is: do we want it as a private monopoly or a public monopoly?
Will the member take an intervention?
If I have time.
Briefly, Jamie Halcro Johnston.
I always enjoy listening to Richard Leonard speak. However, I tell him as an islander—I think that I speak on behalf of many islanders in the northern isles—that we would be worried about having CalMac Ferries run the ferry service in the northern isles. We do not want a public organisation such as CalMac to run it.
That sounds a bit more like some of the old ideology that I was referring to earlier on.
Finally, let me turn to the Labour amendment, which highlights that there is a democratic deficit here. It is not just about seats on boards; I have never believed that nationalisation plus a seat on the board is socialism. What we need—and what we already have the powers in this Parliament to do—is to give much greater control to island communities and to delegate more responsibility to the workers engaged with the services, whether they are the crews who operate our ferries and ports or the workers at Ferguson’s who are building our ferries.
That is something that I hope that the next Parliament will do—invest in our communities, invest in our fleet, invest in our people and drive out, once and for all, the profit motive and the shareholder dividend from the provision of these lifeline services.
16:39
First, I apologise to you, Presiding Officer, to Richard Leonard and to members in the chamber for my part in the sedentary discussion earlier.
I, too, want to mention Fiona Hyslop, particularly as this is her final debate in the chamber, as Kenny Gibson mentioned. She is one of the class of 1999 and has certainly had a very distinguished period of service in the Scottish Parliament. I thank her for everything that she has undertaken in her time here. When she leaves Parliament, our Parliament—our country—will be in a better place for her contribution to the parliamentary process. [Applause.]
I highlight the fact that my wife works part-time for CalMac Ferries, as I usually do when I speak about ferries.
Yesterday’s announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and the Deputy First Minister that Ferguson Marine is to build four new vessels, in addition to the Government’s intended purchase of Ardrossan harbour—which my colleague Kenny Gibson mentioned and has lobbied for consistently over many years—helps to shape today’s debate.
Like my Ayrshire colleague, I have been persistent in my lobbying for Ferguson Marine, because it is not just a constituency issue; it is a personal one for me, too. I have said it before, but this is another opportunity to do so again in the chamber. When my father passed away, he was an employee of the yard, and the workforce was very supportive of our family. I have never forgotten that, and I never will. I know that my family were very grateful to those in the workforce for their support at that time.
My support for the yard goes back long before I was elected. During the Westminster election campaign of 2005, I was the SNP candidate for Inverclyde, and I started a campaign to try to save the yard. During the campaign, the then Labour-Lib Dem Scottish Executive awarded the fisheries protection vessel order to the Remontowa shipyard in Poland. The situation at the Ferguson Marine yard was so severe that it laid off 100 workers. In minutes of a Cabinet meeting on 1 June 2005, the then Lib Dem MSP Ross Finnie, who was the environment minister and the one who signed off the contract for Remontowa to carry out the work, stated that
“the yard had declined to a state that was close to irreversible.”
When politicians fail to acknowledge the challenges faced by the yard long before 2014, they do the workforce and the yard an absolute disservice.
Ferguson has lived more than nine lives, and I dare say that it will live many more, with many twists and turns still to come in its journey. If that is the case, it means that the yard will continue building ships and creating opportunities. Let there be no doubt that, but for the actions of the SNP Government in 2014 and again in 2019, when the yard was nationalised—I did not hear anyone support the nationalisation in their speeches—we would now have Newark apartments, instead of a shipyard, sitting beside Newark castle in Port Glasgow. The jobs and opportunities would have gone, and all that would be remembered of a once-proud tradition would be the Skelpies 100m away.
I never want the SNP Scottish Government to apologise for saving hundreds of highly skilled, quality jobs in Port Glasgow, and I will never apologise for lobbying to save our yard and for lobbying to get work into our yard.
What many people, including some in the chamber, forget is that, no matter the well-documented issues regarding the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa—some of which are true, I hasten to add—the yard has launched five vessels since the Scottish Government took it into public ownership. Many aspects of what has happened at the yard have been regrettable, to say the least. I have shared many frustrations with the shop stewards John McMunagle, who has since retired, Kenny Meechan, who has taken on John’s role, and Alex Logan. The strength and resolve of Alex Logan is absolutely immense. His belief in the yard and the workforce has now been rewarded, and I hope that the management will repay his and the entire workforce’s loyalty and commitment by delivering a yard that we can all be proud of.
Yesterday’s announcement was a categorical show of support that Port Glasgow will still be building ships. I am delighted about that, and I am proud of what the SNP Government is doing. I also know that the workforce and their families are delighted. I am looking forward to taking that message to the constituency and to the voters in the election in May.
We move to closing speeches.
16:44
I am pleased to close this debate on Scotland’s vital ferry services on behalf of Scottish Labour. I thank the Liberal Democrats for bringing the motion to Parliament. As many members have highlighted, our ferry network has become increasingly unreliable and inaccessible in recent years. Delays and cancellations have become a regular occurrence, with an ageing ferry fleet and decisions about the ferry network that often fail to take the views of islanders and workers into account.
Jamie Greene and Kenneth Gibson referred to the significant disruption on the Ardrossan to Brodick route in recent years. That has been to the extent that islanders and tourists have not been able to rely on the service, which has been a massive problem for Arran and Ardrossan. Indeed, some islanders have moved away from the island. As Sue Webber said, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa were chosen to service that route, at an original estimated cost of £97 million yet, as of last year, the cost was estimated to stand at £380 million. As she also pointed out, unofficial estimates now put the cost nearer £500 million.
The Glen Rosa has still not come into service on the route and is not expected to do so until the end of the year at the earliest. Although the Glen Sannox came into service last year, it has been plagued with problems and is now being repaired with parts stripped from the Glen Rosa. That led to the unacceptable situation in which there were no ferries running on the route for several months last year. Services were also temporarily transferred to Troon, and anyone who has used the service there will be aware of the accessibility issues for disabled passengers and anyone with mobility issues. Of course, there are also longer journey times for all passengers. Just this week, there were no crossings on the route because of an issue with MV Caledonian Isles.
Despite all the disruption to the people of Ardrossan and Arran, there has been a failure to adequately compensate communities. It would be helpful to hear more from the cabinet secretary on some of the comments that she made today in relation to compensation.
I warmly welcome the work that has been done on public ownership of Ardrossan harbour. It has been more than a decade since a strong local campaign forced the Scottish Government to commit to the redevelopment of the harbour, but successive transport ministers had previously resisted the call to take the harbour into public ownership. It is clear to me that the cabinet secretary has undertaken a significant amount of work. She took the decision in principle that it was acceptable to bring the harbour into public ownership and has ensured that negotiations have got to this point.
Is it not the case that the process has taken so long because Peel Ports was not willing to negotiate and because the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to issue a compulsory purchase order on the harbour?
I agree with the member that the private owner has been extremely unreasonable—indeed, I have made that point many times. However, that has been clear for many decades, as there have been other issues with that private owner. The issue was very clear a decade ago, which is why, over that decade, North Ayrshire Labour group has been campaigning for municipal ownership or some form of public ownership. As I said, previous transport ministers did not think that the move was possible and quite often ridiculed people such as me who argued for it.
I strongly welcome and support the decision that the cabinet secretary has taken and I hope that whoever is in that role after the election will have the same drive to ensure that progress is made to redevelop Ardrossan, which I am sure will not be straightforward. I think that the cabinet secretary said that there was an Ardrossan task force meeting last night or this morning. It would be helpful to get more details on what decisions have been taken, because there is a great deal of concern that, despite the announcement, which has been made just before an election, there might not be speedy progress and it might be many years before we have a fully operational ferry service at Ardrossan again. Anything that the cabinet secretary can say to give comfort and more detail on that would be appreciated.
16:49
I add my thanks to Fiona Hyslop for all her work, although there are a few things that I need her to sort out before she rides off into retirement.
One of the most important things that we have heard voiced in today’s debate is how communities have been affected year after year by ferry disruptions. Many of us—particularly those who represent the Highlands and Islands—have too often heard at first hand about the direct consequences of the Government’s failure for our communities and constituents. Perhaps it is easy to forget down here in Edinburgh how many of the communities that rely on lifeline ferry links are already disadvantaged. Such rural communities, which are generally remote and often on islands, deal with the challenges of geography, distance and low population density. Some must deal with depopulation while others struggle to attract working-age people and businesses to their communities. Businesses in the places that I call home work on lower margins and struggle more to get deliveries or, in the case of the visitor economy, to attract customers.
The blow of an unreliable ferry service and the resulting increase in isolation and economic harm are extra burdens for those communities to bear at a time when the Scottish Government talks in grand terms about making them attractive and sustainable places to live and work. Too often, SNP members have dismissed those concerns. Plenty of times, Opposition members have risen to ask a question about ferries and been met with groans from central belt MSPs, who simply do not understand or care about our island communities.
Will the member give way?
If it is brief, yes.
I take it that I am an exception, because I am a member who lives on an island and who has raised such issues frequently. Does he also accept that, as much as we might agree on the problems that the ferry services have faced, yesterday’s important announcement about the replacement of the MV Lord of the Isles should be welcomed?
I feel like Dr Allan is looking for an endorsement ahead of the election. I recognise that there is some good news—
He deserves one!
Mr Stewart, please let Mr Halcro Johnston continue.
It would not be a debate without Kevin Stewart shouting something from a sedentary position, would it?
We welcome the good news, but it does not make up for 19 years of complete failure on our ferries. We have heard about the many procurement issues. The truth is that the future of our ferry routes is shrouded in mystery. There is no forward planning for the capital expenditure that is needed to keep the fleet afloat or for the billions of pounds that is required across Scotland, and there is not even clarity about what the Scottish Government intends to pay for.
We have ferries that are run by private enterprises—although certain members of other Opposition parties are not great fans of that—by local authorities, by the Scottish Government through CalMac, and, in the case of NorthLink, through competitive tendering. The argument about fair funding between the CalMac interisland fleet in the Western Isles and the interisland routes in the northern isles, which are run by Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council, was ostensibly accepted by the SNP. However, does the Government equally accept the argument that capital expenditure and vessel requirements for council‑run services must, as a matter of principle, be treated equitably? Will fixed links be seriously considered on a sensible basis that reflects the additional benefits of a tunnel or bridge on routes where that is realistic and wanted?
In the Highlands, the locally run Corran ferry was again suspended a fortnight ago after the MV Maid of Glencoul, the half-century-old ferry that serves as its back-up vessel, required maintenance. Highland Council will have to seek an extension to its maintenance schedule in order to keep it running, while the MV Corran, the main vessel, sits awaiting parts.
As has been highlighted, the problem is that we have ageing vessels and absolutely no resilience or flexibility in the system for when they fail. A new electric vessel for the Corran Narrows crossing is due for delivery in 2028-29, but a replacement is desperately needed now. As Scotland’s fleet gets older, those issues will become the reality on more and more routes. More vessel failures means greater costs for repairs and servicing.
We have heard from my colleagues Sue Webber and Edward Mountain about the delays to the MV Glen Rosa at Ferguson Marine, which is a saga that continues to roll on but not roll off. Yesterday, when SNP ministers were back-slapping themselves about the Ferguson Marine news, the island communities that the boats will serve seemed of secondary importance to them. Those communities would be justified in their concerns that their new vessels are to be built by a company in which the Scottish Government clearly has more confidence than the Scottish public or islanders themselves do.
Confidence in Ferguson Marine or this SNP Government is a luxury that my constituents do not have. They suffer the economic and social costs of unreliable services, ancient vessels and reduced timetables now, and costs are falling on the communities that are least able to shoulder them. As my colleague Sue Webber highlighted, the fiasco was not inevitable; it was the result of this SNP Government’s mismanagement. Edward Mountain laid out that failure in detail. He said that no one has lost their job and that ministers should hang their heads in shame.
I have no doubt that islanders and others in ferry-dependent communities have lost out and suffered real harm because of the SNP Government’s failures. Although jobs and businesses have been lost, it is telling that not a single SNP minister has lost their job. Ferry-dependent communities, like everyone in the chamber, know that the blame does not lie with council headquarters, the workers at Ferguson Marine or the ferry operators and their hard-working crews. It lies squarely at the Government’s door.
16:54
This morning, I met CalMac and CMAL in Inverclyde and visited the MV Isle of Islay as it prepares to enter service. That followed my series of announcements and delivery updates on ports and harbours yesterday. This is an opportunity to note more publicly my thanks to the teams across CMAL, CalMac and NorthLink Ferries for their on-going work to deliver services and their complex work behind the scenes to deliver improvements and projects, working for and alongside island communities.
If members do not vote for the Scottish Government’s amendment, they will not be showing support for the specific measures that are set out in it: Ardrossan port being brought into public ownership and redeveloped for the people of Arran; Port Ellen being developed for the people of Islay; the proposal to directly award Ferguson Marine the contract for two vessels under the small vessel replacement programme; the competitive tender for the replacement for the MV Lord of the Isles; and the removal of peak fares for islanders in the northern isles travelling on services run by NorthLink Ferries, with a family of four travelling from Shetland with a car and a cabin saving up to £193 per return journey.
On fares, the SNP Government’s introduction of the road equivalent tariff on the Clyde and Hebrides network has saved passengers about £25 million per year. For example, on the Stornoway-Ullapool route, before RET was introduced in 2008, single fares were £15.30 for a foot passenger and £75 for a car. Without RET, the fares would now be £25 and £128 respectively, but RET means that they are only £12.30 and £66.
I have always been clear that, following the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services 3 direct award, we would turn our attention to further potential reform of the governance of Scotland’s ferry bodies. As part of the new Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract, we have already amended elements of the governance arrangements between the Scottish ministers and CalMac. The new arrangements allow—and, indeed, require—the Scottish ministers to more closely supervise and directly intervene to improve Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. I say to Jamie Greene that a direct award to Ferguson’s might require further steps in that regard. We will consider further reforms, including any that are necessary to support direct awards and maximise the opportunities for public service reform.
I have always been clear that, alongside any consideration of reform, we must ensure that the focus remains on delivering new tonnage, improving our ports and bedding in the new contractual arrangements for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract.
The Scottish ministers remain committed to ensuring that island communities shape the future of Scotland’s ferry services. We continue to work with public bodies to widen the reach of board appointment campaigns across island communities.
I suspect that this will be my last speech in the Parliament after 27 years of elected public service. I thank MSPs for their kind remarks. I want to state how much I believe in a strong Parliament as well as good government—both need one another for accountability and for constructive public policy development.
My experience on the Education Committee, including its early years inquiry, as an Opposition member 20 years ago shaped my drive for expanded early education and childcare provision and universal free school meals pilots when I was the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.
Similarly, my two years on the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee as a back bencher—keeping Edward Mountain in check as his deputy convener—including during its ferries inquiry, informed my work as the Cabinet Secretary for Transport. Members can see that in what I have delivered and in what I announced yesterday.
I say to all MSPs: defend the strength of this Parliament, be a responsible Opposition and support Governments when they invest in our communities and drive and deliver improvements. In supporting the Government’s amendment, they will be supporting all the investments that I set out yesterday, including investment in our island communities. Again, I thank members for their remarks earlier in the debate.
16:59
I pay tribute to that great and incredible final speech from Ms Hyslop. It has been warmly received by members across the chamber, who clearly have a huge amount of respect for and value the time that she has spent in public service. The Liberal Democrats thank the cabinet secretary for that.
I want to move away from some of the statistics that we talked about in the opening part of the debate to the human cost of what the issues have meant to people. Those issues probably come as a source of regret to all of us who have had our inboxes filled over the years for many of the reasons that I mentioned, such as the MV Glen Sannox operating out of Troon instead of Ardrossan; the hiring of the MV Alfred, no doubt at great cost to the Government—which, I am sure, would have rather spent that money elsewhere—and the issues around small businesses being out of pocket and the compensation scheme that has been required for them. I reiterate that I would like to see that compensation scheme extended where possible.
I also want coastal communities such as Ardrossan, whose small businesses are affected by the lack of footfall, to be taken into account. If the ferry is not operating and the passengers are not there, people are not there spending their money. I appreciate that money does not grow on trees. However, we should note that a huge amount of money has been spent on repairs over the past 10 years on an ageing fleet. No doubt, some of that money would have been better spent supporting the small businesses that are affected by cancellations.
Yesterday, we heard the welcome news that Ardrossan harbour will come under the control of CMAL and de facto public ownership. The cabinet secretary will know well that if her amendment is supported, it will effectively delete the premise of my motion. However, I want to put on the record that I support the Government’s moves on Ardrossan and the announcements it has made of contracts being awarded to Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow, and I hope that the Government can get through some of the issues to allow it to make that offer as soon as possible. The Government will have the support of the Liberal Democrats in doing that.
I would argue that all that could have been done years ago. Mr Humza Yousaf once promised to purchase Ardrossan harbour. To Ms Hyslop’s credit, she is once again finishing a job that Mr Yousaf clearly did not start in the first place.
Another issue that has emerged as we have talked about ferries is the juggling act that so many of us have unfortunately become used to. It is the emails that we get in our inboxes week after week from CMAL’s head of communications, someone who is quite well known to some people on the Government front benches. Those updates are as confusing as they are frequent. They tell us, as MSPs informing our constituents, which vessels are broken during any given day or week, which route is having to lose a secondary vessel to another route, which return of a vessel has been delayed due to further repairs by engineers, and which island will be left suffering as a result of the constant juggling act that CalMac is forced to do.
I also suspect that there is a fair amount of frustration within CMAL, because although Transport Scotland seems to be making the decisions and pulling the strings, it is ministers who control the purse strings. The Scottish Parliament has debated that tripartite mess over the years, and the problem should have been resolved and overhauled years ago. That is what the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee concluded in a report back in 2020, which I and Mr Mountain penned, but nothing seems to have changed since then. That is an issue that the next Parliament will surely have to grapple with.
I have talked many times in the Scottish Parliament about the frequency and volume of cancellations, but it is not about the sailings that are cancelled; it is about the people who should be on them. They are who I fear for the most. My inbox and that of any MSP who represents an island community will have harrowing stories of the human impact of cancellations. People are missing urgent hospital appointments and funerals; farmers are missing opportunities to get their cattle to market; young students are missing exams and valuable education; and people are missing mental health appointments. Those are not abstract views but real examples of casework that I have had to deal with over the years. Our islanders have always understood that the weather has not always been—and will not always be—kind to them, particularly on the west coast. However, what adds to their frustration is when cancellations are surely due to technical delays because of ageing vessels. That is where that sense of palpable frustration has come through over the years. It has been tragic to read some of those stories.
That is why I believe that we need a rolling 30-year ferry replacement strategy and a port strategy. The reason I mention that in a different tone from that used in the Government’s amendment is that that strategy cannot be at risk to the whims of ministers or changes of Government. In my view, it must and should be underpinned by legislation, removing it from any form of political convenience or expedience. That would move it out of the political cycles in which we are so used to debating in here.
We need a complete restructuring of the governance of Scotland’s maritime strategy. CMAL, CalMac and Transport Scotland currently operate in a triangle of confusion, with lines of accountability blurred and decisions about services being made miles away from the communities that they affect the most. Ferries are transport infrastructure, like roads, bridges, airports and trains, and we should treat them as such.
I will say in closing, and in response to the words of Ms Hyslop, that I, too, believe in working across the political divide when it is appropriate and when it is necessary. In my 10 years as an MSP, that is how I have always worked: through consensus, agreement and compromise. Those have been my watchwords, and I hope that my record demonstrates that.
It is in that spirit that I would like to offer the next Scottish Government some collegiate advice. The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 that we passed will be meaningless on paper if we cannot connect our islands in the first place. In the next session, the Parliament will have to find a way of working together to find long-term solutions to connect every town, village and island in Scotland, because no one and nowhere should be left behind by their Parliament or their Government—and that is especially the case for our islands.
That concludes the debate on fixing Scotland’s ferry fiasco.
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Business Motion