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Whilst the new scheme has taken on board lessons learnt and best practice from the energy assistance scheme, it is sufficiently different that any handover from the current contract will be minimal. However, the new managing agent will require time to mobilise and build capacity within their supply chain. Therefore we expect referrals to begin in late summer 2015 and for installations to follow within the timescales specified by the contract. In the intervening period, support is available for people looking to improve the energy efficiency of their home through our Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland and I would encourage them to call the Home Energy Scotland hotline on 0808 808 2282.

None. Health and safety relating to aviation is reserved to the UK Government. Concerns raised about cabin air have been investigated at length over a number of years by the UK Government. These studies found that while airlines should keep working to minimise fume events (e.g. through scrupulous maintenance procedures), on balance they are of the view that “a toxic mechanism for the illness that has been reported in temporal relation to fume incidents is unlikely”. In reaching this conclusion, they explained that, to cause serious acute toxicity, the chemicals that have been identified in bleed air would have to occur at very much higher concentrations than have been found to date, and also that the symptoms which have been reported following fume events have been wide-ranging and less specific than those that typically occur from chemical toxicity.

As part of the normal rail planning processes, we have not had any recent, firm proposals from the Scottish rail industry for the development of freight-only rail links.

Through our £3.5 billion capital investment programme for 2014-19, we are working with the industry to develop detailed specifications for strategic rail schemes, including improvements to the Aberdeen to Inverness and Highland Main Lines, which will include significant benefits for freight users, such as line-speed enhancements, greater capacity and increased reliability.

In addition, a £30 million Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Investment Fund has been made available over the same period for flexible, industry led investment in support of rail freight growth.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18414 on 29 November 2013. 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.

The current estimated tendering costs to the Scottish Government are between £900,000 and £1,000,000, calculated from October 2014 to November 2016.

The successful operator will be required to charter the current fleet from Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, who will set the common terms and price for this. This information will be made available through the invitation to tender, due June 2015.

The Ferries Plan (2013-2022) committed to consider a Mallaig to Lochboisdale route as part of Clyde and Hebrides ferry services specification. However, the opportunity to pilot this route was agreed, starting in 2013. Decisions about the future provision of a Mallaig to Lochboisdale ferry service will be taken after the three year pilot is complete at the end of the winter 2015-16 timetable period.

The following table details Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) and David MacBrayne Ltd (DML) expenditure on external consultants from 2006.

* CMAL’s information has been published since October 2010 in accordance with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. Prior to October 2010, CMAL did not record the data in a manner which would allow consistency with the published information.

** From October 2010 to March 2011

CMAL spend on consultants includes expenditure on consulting engineers who are required for the design and development of the various civil engineering projects which CMAL deliver year on year, and these engineers also are engaged as the project managers on these works.

CMAL have delivered a number of major engineering projects over the period and the engineering consultants fees form a significant element of these costs.

CalMac brought in some temporary external contractors to help them prepare for their bid for the next Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract.

CalMac are currently upgrading their ticketing and online booking systems as well as a major investment in their communication systems for ships and ports. This investment will make Wi-Fi available to their customers on every ship and at every port. These projects require specialised knowledge and expertise that CalMac personnel do not have.

The procurement of a managing agent for the new national fuel poverty scheme is ongoing and we expect to be in a position to announce contract award by the end of April 2015.

The following table details how much CalMac Ferries Ltd have spent on vessel maintenance, staff training, on-board passenger services and information technology in each year since 2006.

Transport Scotland are working with the Cairngorms National Park, the Scottish Government, Highland Council and other agencies to maximise the opportunity to align our programmes. The possibility of laying digital communications infrastructure in the dualled A9 will form part of that agenda.