- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the current estimated total cost, including design, contract management, construction, legal, and administrative costs, is for the upgrading of the ferry terminal at Lochmaddy to allow its use by Hull 802, and what percentage of the total cost will be funded by (a) it and (b) other bodies.
Answer
The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Lochmaddy project is estimated to cost £21million. Our response to the Freedom of Information Request 2022-00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £15,747million with the remaining contribution to be met by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CNES) as statutory harbour authority.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been any design changes to the two vessels that CMAL has ordered from the Cemre Marin Endustri yard to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes.
Answer
CMAL as procuring authority have confirmed that there have been no changes to the design or specifications for the vessels ordered from the Cemre Marin Endustri yard to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost will be of the two vessels that CMAL has ordered from the Cemre Marin Endustri yard to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes.
Answer
The Scottish Government announced up to £115 million funding for the two Little Minch vessels, and associated port works and project costs, in October 2022. The total costs of the vessels are commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether the two vessels which CMAL has ordered from the Cemre Marin Endustri yard to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes could have operated from ferry terminals at (a) Uig, (b) Lochmaddy and (c) Tarbert without the reconstruction and dredging operations being carried out at each terminal to allow their use by Hull 802.
Answer
The vessels currently under construction at Cemre could not have served the ports at Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert without changes to infrastructure. The works at each of the ports are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update from CMAL on the progress of the two ferries that it has ordered from the Cemre Marin Endustri yard to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes.
Answer
The Scottish Government receives regular updates on all new vessel builds. The contract for the Little Minch vessels was signed on 11 January and all agreements including full Builders Refund Guarentees were put in place recently. The latest update was received from CMAL on 20 February 2023.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) length, (b) beam and (c) maximum operational draught of MV Hebrides is.
Answer
MV Hebrides is 99 metres in length, 15.8 metres wide and her operational draught, which is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the vessel’s hull, is 3.3 metres.
Further information is available on CalMac’s website by following the link: https://www.calmac.co.uk/fleet/mv-hebrides
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken of the potential economic and social benefits of a fixed link across the Corran Narrows.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessments regarding the social and economic benefits of a fixed link across the Corran Narrows.
The Scottish Government is aware of work carried out by HITRANS on behalf of The Highland Council to consider a range of options for the Corran Narrows. As any decision to deliver a fixed link would be a matter for Local Authority, it would not be for the Scottish Government to undertake a socioeconomic assessment.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 10 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the environmental impact of the improper disposal of vapes.
Answer
I have commissioned an urgent review of the environmental impacts and management of single-use vapes.
Zero Waste Scotland will lead on the review which will examine available evidence, including the environmental impact of incorrect disposal of vapes.
We will consider the evidence and expert advice and bring forward policy options in due course.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received from local residents and business owners on future transport options for the Corran Narrows, including the possibility of a fixed link.
Answer
The Scottish Government has received representations from local residents and MSPs regarding transport options for the Corran Narrows, however, Scottish Ministers have no locus in this decision.
Transport links across the Corran Narrows is wholly the responsibility of The Highland Council and as such, any decision to replace ferries or deliver a fixed link and funding of this, would be a matter for the Local Authority.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with The Highland Council regarding the potential of a fixed link across the Corran Narrows.
Answer
The Scottish Government has engaged with The Highland Council during the previous appraisal work carried out by HITRANS, on behalf of the Council, which considered a range of options for the Corran Narrows. We are aware the Council is now pursuing an upgrade to the existing ferries, but maintain a longer term aspiration for a fixed link connection across Loch Linnhe.
The Highland Council was part of regional working group which helped to inform the second Strategic Transport Projects Review. During this time, the transport options for the Corran Narrows was raised by the Council. However, ferry services and their replacement were not within the scope of that national review.