Seòmar agus comataidhean

The number of sailings CalMac Ferries Ltd has provided with the charter vessel, MV Alfred, across the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024 is 1,086.

The Natural Capital Market Framework will seek to strengthen Scotland’s interim principles for ‘Responsible Investment in Natural Capital’. If passed by Scottish Parliament, the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will also help to realise many of these Interim Principles, especially those relevant to land use, community engagement and community benefit.

For example, the Bill includes provisions that would place legal responsibilities on the owners of large landholdings to set out how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, like addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature. The Bill will also ensure the owners of large landholdings will have to engage with local communities about how they use the land, and it will prohibit certain sales of over 1000 hectares, until Ministers can consider the impact on the local community.

As announced by the First Minister in May, the Pilot was extended for a further three months until 27 September 2024. This was based on the existing data available and allows for a longer evaluation period to gather additional data on the pilot’s effectiveness at encouraging modal shift from car to rail while helping passengers facing cost of living pressures.

Removing the timing restrictions on off-peak fares helps to simplify ticket options and supports flexible working practices which have grown in popularity. Such simplicity is also helpful in providing more flexible choices for families.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the rail trade unions who have long campaigned for this Pilot and their members are key to the successful implementation of it to date.

The Scottish Government does not intend to issue a statement on the safety on the MV Alfred, following the publication of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, into the grounding of the vessel at Swona Isalnd on 5 July 2022.

The Scottish Government does not receive nor hold any information related to Car Parking charges at Ardrossan. This is the responsibility of Peel Ports Group (PPG) as the statutory harbour authority and owner of the port.

Any discussions around the charter, including a crew fatigue management plan are solely a matter between the owner of the vessel, Pentland Ferries, and the operator CalMac Ferries Limited.

The procedures surrounding Redetermination Orders are contained within the relevant legislation (The Stopping Up of Roads and Private Accesses and the Redetermination of Public Rights of Passage (Procedure)(Scotland) Regulations 1986.

Transport Scotland undertook a review of the Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) process, which included Redetermination Orders, in 2021. Stakeholders consulted during this review included local authorities. As part of the findings of this review Transport Scotland has highlighted that Redetermination Orders are not needed in all circumstances.

For example, if a local authority has made a TRO which effectively determines the means by which the public can exercise their right of passage over the road then it may not be necessary to also have a Redetermination Order to give effect to the restrictions on traffic. However, the decision on whether a Redetermination Order is required for a project ultimately remains with the relevant Roads Authority.

Since 2020 Transport Scotland has received 7 Redetermination Orders for determination where objections have been maintained. 6 of these have received a Ministerial Decision within an average of 4 months without referral to a Public Local Inquiry. One other is under active consideration having been received on the 4 th June 2024.

The Scottish Government is developing a Market Framework to set out a clear long-term policy ambition and coherent policy framework to support our vision for the development of Natural Capital markets in Scotland. It will be published later in the year, following the current extended engagement phase with a wide variety of stakeholders.