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The tendering process for the publishing, print, design and associated services framework was advertised on the Public Contracts Scotland tendering portal and also advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The approach to the delivery of such services has varied slightly in that the requirement now includes provision of promotional items, display materials and DVD duplication. The provision of a fully managed service for publishing, print, design and associated services has been contracted out to a single supplier, with significant use of sub-contractors, since 1994. The current framework is open to the central government sector including the core Scottish Government, Scottish Government agencies, non-departmental public bodies, health boards and other organisations funded through Scottish Ministers. The new framework will be open to all Scottish public sector bodies. Use of the framework is not mandated.

Services for publishing, print and design will not be delivered by a single company because these services are included under a number of frameworks. Scottish Procurement advertised for a single supplier to deliver a fully managed service for publishing, print, design and associated services. This framework is required to meet the needs of both the Scottish Government and other organisations that have made an operational decision to manage their publishing, print and design services in this way. Organisations that do not require a fully managed service can use the print services framework, which has been advertised and will have up to 17 print suppliers, or the design services lot of the current marketing services framework which has five design suppliers.

Historically, the fully managed service has been provided by a single supplier with extensive use of sub-contractors. The current supplier, APS Group (Scotland) Ltd is a registered Scottish company, who have an office and business premises in Leith where they employ 91 staff. APS have put in place an extensive supply chain and have awarded business to 154 Scottish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) over the past four years. The previous supplier of a fully managed service for design, print, publishing and associated services was RR Donnelly who are also based in Edinburgh.

Our past experience and recent market engagement suggests a number of potential providers are based in Scotland. In addition, as has been proven to date, the requirement lends itself to an extensive delivery strategy which enables Scottish based suppliers and SMEs to be awarded business through supply chain activity. The invitation to tender also made it clear that Scottish Procurement would consider single bids, consortia bids and the use of sub-contractors for delivery.

The recommendations in the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) review will have a positive impact on the safety of offshore workers travelling to and from their place of work. With the oil and gas industry and the rest of the country we were shocked and saddened by the fatalities which have occurred and are determined that all appropriate lessons are learnt and implemented. We understand that some of the recommendations may be challenging for helicopter operators and are pleased that Oil and Gas UK and the CAA are having productive discussions on implementation of the review. The overall objective is to reduce the likelihood of accidents happening, and when accidents do occur to increase the likelihood of passengers and crew surviving. We would encourage everyone involved in this process to ensure that objective remains paramount.

Although the regulation of health and safety is not a devolved matter, the Scottish Government were fully aware of the Elgin Gas Leak incident and co-operated with the UK government to minimise and monitor environmental impact and to plan for and assist in the response through Marine Scotland.

Reports from the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Energy and Climate Change on the incident have been submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. A decision as to criminal proceedings will be taken following the conclusion of a full investigation, including consideration of those reports.

An offshore oil and gas industry with the highest standards of safety is vital to Scotland’s economic well-being. The Scottish Government will always work with all interested parties to ensure a rigorous and well-funded North Sea safety regime.

Details of the current members of the Expert Ferry Group can be found on the Transport Scotland website:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/water/expert-ferry-group

Professor Neil Kay was formerly a member of the Expert Ferry Group, however he resigned from the group in February 2014.

Only one of the 10 members of the group is a private ferry operator. The other members cover a broad range of interests and are mostly drawn from the public or academic sectors.

Transport Scotland provides secretariat support to the Expert Ferry Group and Transport Scotland prepare the minutes of the meeting of the group. Members of the group are asked to comment on and clear minutes prior to publication on the Transport Scotland website. Members cannot redact sections of the minutes of the group meetings.

The minutes are open and transparent and are published on the Transport Scotland website:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/water/expert-ferry-group

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20827 on 2 May 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Membership of the Expert Ferry Group is on the basis of an individual’s knowledge and expertise rather than as a representative of a particular stakeholder group. Members of the Expert Ferry Group include key transport professionals, academics and operators of ferry services.

The work of the Expert Ferry Group will be in relation to strategic issues. It is open to members of the group to propose strategic issues for consideration by the group.

There have now been two meetings of the Expert Ferry Group, with the next meeting scheduled for 14 May 2014. Minutes of each meeting, including details of who attended, are published on the Transport Scotland website:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/water/expert-ferry-group