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As I think that I alluded to in my opening statement, I am very conscious that a lot of evidence exists of the problems and where we need to go next in relation to the delivery of ferry services in Scotland. What I need to do now is move us forward on project Neptune specifically. However, your point about trade unions is a good one, so I will certainly take that away as an action point from today’s meeting, and I will speak to CalMac and CMAL about what we might be able to do in that space.

There should be lots of scope for greater devolution of management, because, in my experience as minister, island communities often feel that CalMac is a bit top-heavy. In the future delivery model, it would be important to look to have a more people-focused organisation that is on the ground in our island communities. If you go out—I know that the committee has been out and about—and speak to folk who live in our island communities, they will tell you that some of the best people who work in the organisation are the people who work in the ports or the ticket offices or who help them on the boats. There are some fantastic people in these organisations. Obviously, at the moment, we are talking about CalMac, but I should say that that is also true of Serco NorthLink.

Ms Lennon is right in relation to the sentiment of her question about the devolution of management or, I suppose, having a more front-facing organisation, and there should be opportunities for that. One of the things that I have done as minister, in the past year and a bit, is to convene regular resilience calls. It is really important that, as minister, I hear regularly and routinely from island communities when there are periods of sustained disruption. However, it is not just me who comes to those meetings—it is also CalMac, CMAL and Transport Scotland. There is something about organisations facing up to challenges when they occur—of course, I also do that as minister—and the community seeing it, understanding it and, in my experience, actually being reassured when there are challenges on the network.

The people from island communities who I speak to on the resilience calls are reassured when they know that there is a plan. What does not provide them with reassurance is the uncertainty that outages cause.

To go back to the overarching question that Ms Lennon asks about that devolution of management, we need to think about how we can get more of CalMac’s management team into our communities. We also need the organisation to think about the strengths that it already has within it—the people who work in the ticket offices and on the front line. They are fantastic advocates and ambassadors for the organisation, so it is not just all about the managers.

It is not just that. I will allow Transport Scotland to answer for itself, but it is fair to say that, in recent times—I will be careful how I say this, convener—because the issue of ferries has become topical in the chamber and parliamentary committees, as is quite right and is, of course, in Parliament’s gift, the workload pressures on Transport Scotland have been greater than they probably have been at any other time before now. That has an impact on the progress that we have been able to make in a number of different areas. I will allow Transport Scotland to speak—

As the former cabinet secretary will know, I have confidence that my officials are doing their jobs. Project Neptune was carried out by Ernst & Young as the appointed consultant. It carried out that investigation last year and I published it and presented it to Parliament in September.

Overall, the role that Transport Scotland fulfils is a hugely important one, and I have confidence that it is fulfilling its role, if that is the deputy convener’s question.

Absolutely. That is hugely important. I am more than happy to write to officials when I have that data and clarity from the SGLD and Transport Scotland.

I read the same story and I was surprised by it. My officials are of the view that the story in question has taken the actual spend to date for the young persons scheme, which is just over £93 million, and added the forecast spend for 2023-24 that was included in the business and regulatory impact assessment, which is £189.5 million—the figure that Ms Lennon alluded to, I think. The actual spend to date figure was published back in February in a freedom of information response. We think that, in the story, they have added the two together, which is incorrect.

I heard some of the evidence on that issue at the tail end of the previous session. I reiterate what was outlined by Mr Hobbs and others. We want 30 per cent of the Scottish ferry fleet to consist of low-emission ferries by 2032. As, I think, you heard from Mr Hobbs, the small vessel replacement programme will aim to provide low-emission vessels that primarily use battery power and onshore charging technologies.

It is important to say that the new vessels for Islay will lead to a reduction in emissions. I think that that is due to the hull design, but Transport Scotland might want to say more about that.

The challenge relates to our larger vessels. Jim Anderson made the point that the technology is not quite there yet for our larger vessels. I know that CMAL is looking at a diesel-electric hybrid model for the Islay vessels and the additional two vessels for the Little Minch routes. That will allow CMAL to look at future battery technology in relation to those vessels.

I recognise that there is a challenge in getting to the target, but that absolutely remains the target. As technology moves on, we will need to keep pace with it in order to reach the target, in line with our climate change aspirations and ambitions.

I recall.

I am not necessarily sure that it is.

The committee will know well that not all island communities are the same. We need to be mindful in our policy development that they all have very different needs and that we should not try a one-size-fits-all policy, because that will not work.

CHFS3 also gives us an opportunity to do things differently, and there are definitely lessons that we will need to learn, particularly in relation to what CalMac has been able to come up with in quite recent times and how we will build things into the future contract.