 Ysgolwyddon yng ngay multiplic i ddwylo'r ddwylo gyllidegau ar gyfer y lwn yn Shroud-de-feydol, teimlo ei fod yn ei hollu sy'n strithfodol, mae'r ddydd yn oed yn ni'n sgildiau ti'n enw o resibl yn eu trefysiwn i. Mae hollwch yn ten fynd ar gyfer bulwyrnol, yn rhan o'r llwyth. Roedd eich ddull felly i'r ddwylo. Roedd eich ddull yn ni'n trefysiwn i'r ddwylo. Roedd eich ddull and not can not be made. Lives are affected. I want the chamber to be in no doubt today about how, seriously, I am taking this Government's response to the challenges presented by the delivery of services on the Clyde and Hebrideys ferry network. Things have got to improve for our island communities. Project Neptune represents a key opportunity to bring about ''the necessary rigour and focus required to deliver those improvements''. I committed to publish the report in Parliament earlier this year. A full copy comprising of sections on governance and on future thinking has been placed in Spice for all members to access today. For absolute clarity of purpose, my statement today will focus only on those services delivered in the west of Scotland by the CalMac fleet. I will consider some of the learnings from Neptune, the necessary challenge to government, and set out a way forward, which will look to work with all parties across the chamber and fundamentally to better meet the needs of island communities. We are time limited today, therefore it is my intention to return to the chamber for a full debate on what that future delivery should look like. Project Neptune considers, within an international context, recommendations for improvement in the current arrangements for delivery of ferry services in the west of Scotland. There is much in the current arrangements that delivers well, but there are clearly actions for government, too. In summary, Neptune highlights the need for a statutory framework on the governance of ferries. Secondly, the tripartite structure is challenged. Thirdly, the report calls for improved vision and leadership to develop that long-term strategic planning and improved collaborative working. Project Neptune is an extremely technical report, and I appreciate that members will not have had a chance to fully digest all of that detail this afternoon. To that end, I want to make an offer to all members today that Transport Scotland will host a session with Ernst and Young who wrote the report to explain it in further detail. Before today's statement, I met all stakeholders who might be affected by any changes in the future, and I want to give them an absolute assurance today that there will be no takeover imposed on any one organisation. Government must improve the delivery of ferry services on the Clyde and Hebrides network. We need a better culture of collaborative working to meet the needs of our island communities. The tripartite structure, Calmax, Mal and Transport Scotland, was brought in at the time by the then Scottish Executive to comply with EU law. Project Neptune, not unhelpfully in my view, evidences what that can sometimes mean in practice when the tripartite does not agree, for example. The report notes challenges in holding the tripartite to account due to confusions over roles and responsibilities. It also points to a lack of a formalised process for ministers to engage with the tripartite. That needs to change. The second part of the report evaluates different approaches to bringing together organisations that deliver ferry services. It considers the introduction of a ferries commissioner but notes that that innovation could bring another stakeholder to an already crowded sector. The report sets out a range of potential options for reform. The First Minister has been absolutely clear that we will not consider unbundling or privatisation and the report sets out some of the reasons why that would not be pursued in further detail. Alongside improving existing arrangements, I am open to exploring what improvement could result from more formal integration. Clearly it would not be right to announce any changes without community consultation, but we also need to be cognisant of the organisations that are rather involved in service delivery today. A key part of the next steps will therefore involve staff directly at Calmax, CML and DML and, of course, the relevant trade unions. I am a mainlander. Like many of us, my family's routes can be traced back to Bimbicula, Isla and Arran, but I do not need to take a ferry to my work. I do not need to take a ferry to the food shop. I do not need to take a ferry to a family funeral. Those services are lifeline services, so my commitment today is to reform how we deliver those services with the central guiding principle that our island communities have to be part of what comes next. I can announce today that we will consult directly with island communities on next steps. I am pleased to update the chamber that Angus Campbell, who is currently chair of the ferry community board, has agreed to lead this vital work. Angus brings with him a wealth of experience, and I look forward to working with him. Since January, I have spent a great deal of my time with the unsung volunteers who give up their time to be part of ferry committees. Although they might not all agree on how services are delivered, they are all united in seeking better ferry services for their communities. It is a simple ask, and this Government and the organisations that run ferry services on our behalf need to do better at engaging with, at listening to and at acting on the needs of island communities. We also need to ensure that those organisations are representative of the communities that they serve. To that end, I am delighted to confirm today that Morag McNeill will take up position formally as the chair of Caledonian maritime assets limited. Morag will be the first woman to hold the role of chair, and I look forward to working with her. Neptune also requires action from government, so I can announce today that we will re-establish and refresh the islands transport forum. That will focus initially on ferry's provision and island resilience. I will chair the forum, but it will also involve regular attendance from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, who has responsibility for resilience. That has to ensure that cross-government approach, which I think is absolutely vital in terms of next steps. For every period of prolonged disruption, I will convene a resilience group with the ferries community board, CalMac and local partners, so that the Government's response at a national and local level reflects the scale of the impacts that the loss of a lifeline service can have on our island communities. Accountability also matters. As part of the consultation on the islands connectivity plan that will take place later in the year, measurable performance indicators are going to be developed. They will be distinct from those contractual targets, and they will better reflect the real experience of passengers. They will be visible and they will be published, against which we can monitor, of course, performance. However, they will also help to progress regaining communities trust in our services. Of course, I will fully consider and respond to any recommendations that come from the Public Audit Committee and the Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee reports. I know that island communities may be anxious about the winter. The beginning of this year brought some of the most unpredictable weather ever experienced and it directly impacted on service delivery. To help to reduce the number of delays and cancellations related to weather, the Government will expand the tide and weather monitoring equipment currently in place at sea mal ports to third party ports. Ministers also need to ensure that we are deriving full public value from every penny and pound invested in our ferries. Currently, there is a real lack of transparency about the application of harbour dues. There is no clear mechanism that guides harbour dues increases and there is an expectation that the Government will always fund repairs, maintenance and enhancements, even when we do not own the harbours. This year alone, the Government has invested or will invest rather 40 million pounds in ports and harbour services, so I want to explore with relevant local authorities and other third party owners how we can improve matters. As part of the island's connectivity plan, I will set out that long-term investment programme for vessels and ports that Neptune calls for and islanders needed to see. In conclusion, I want to thank everyone who works for us. In David McRain, in sea mal and CalMac and to my officials in Transport Scotland, those people are crucial to all aspects of the delivery and operation of our ferries. They often go above and beyond to maintain and enhance services and infrastructure. The role has been key in the past and it will continue to be so in the future. We have a good track record of providing high-value, high-skill job opportunities to people from remote and rural island communities, offering people lifelong career progression. During my engagements and visits this summer, I have met many who started their careers young and who have worked their way up to senior positions, staying and maintaining their lives in rural and island towns. That feels and looks like success to me and it is a success that I want to build on to provide more such opportunities in the future for young people from island and remote communities. However, I also know that increasingly, ferry employees and the crew often bear the brunt of people's frustration, with many experiencing verbal abuse and intimidation, as I heard on my visit to Obent last month. That is not and will never be acceptable. There is more that we can do to nurture a culture of respect between passengers and staff, even across this chamber. It is too easy for politicians to ramp up the rhetoric to play fast and loose around the facts and to encourage headline-grabbing media stories without about our ferries being broken, giving the completely wrong impression that our islands are closed and unreachable in some instances. The statistics do not bear that out and indeed there has been some evidence anecdotally of inaccurate perception becoming reality. Responsible, constructive debate and critique is possible, desirable and indeed essential. More light, less heat is surely what we should all be seeking. I therefore look forward to hearing from all members today about their constructive ideas and views on how we can create that sustainable, resilient ferry service in the future. That will help island residents, community and businesses to thrive. Most surely, that has to be our shared goal. Thank you very much. The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for that, at which point we will need to move to the next item of business. As ever, if members wish to ask a question, I would invite them to press the request-to-speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I call first Graham Simpson. Thank you very much. I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement and the long-awaited Project Neptune report. I first asked her to release the report on February 24, and she said she would. Had she released it then, I might have had time to digest it by now because it is quite a heavy read. She recognises that in her statement. Had it been shared earlier, we could have had the kind of discussions that I am sure I am absolutely certain the minister wants to have. I will take part in any talks that she wants to set up. It would be hugely beneficial if we could all agree on what changes are needed to the way we do ferries. The clunky governance structure should change. It does not make sense to have the minister Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac. It is not delivering for islanders. Does the minister agree with that, and will she commit to changing the structure? I am not asking her what she wants that structure to be. Does she think that it should change? I want to ask about timescales because there was nothing in her statement about that. What is her deadline for reform? What is her deadline for putting a new west coast contract out to tender because we are up against the clock on that? What is her deadline for announcing a ramped-up ferry replacement programme? That is what we essentially need so that we can improve ferries and get new ferries every single year. I thank Mr Simpson for his question and the tone of his question additionally. He is correct. I did give him an undertaking earlier this year that I would publish the report and I am glad that he has welcomed that today. I think that it is really important to remember that there are a number of different organisations involved in the delivery of ferry services just now, so it was essential that we got that right and there are sensitivities involved in that. I want to again put on record a reassurance to those organisations today that nothing will be happening overnight, but we will now have those discussions. I cannot say on record whether or not we will reach agreement, but you have an undertaking from me that I want to work with parties across the chamber on what future delivery should look like, but it is not just about us, it is about island communities and it is about trade unions and it is about staff who work in those organisations too. I think that that is hugely important to recognise. Mr Simpson mentioned the clunky governance structure. I think that to some extent I would agree with him. We have and the report illustrates this in more detail a complex structure currently in operation, which is not beneficial. I do not think that island communities at times and I certainly do not think that it is beneficial to ministers either. I would agree with him to that extent. On the CHIFS 3 contract, I am not going to update the chamber on that. I am aware, of course, that we are approaching the end of that contract. Any future decision on that will have to be considered. I am sure that we will have further conversations on that throughout the course of this afternoon. On the future plan, I think that that is what islanders need to hear about next. That is why I will come back to the chamber for that wider debate on next steps, but also on the island connectivity plan, which sets out some of that detail in more progress and will give people dates and opportunity to look forward to a timeline of investment coming down the track, which will allow them to be hopeful for the future in the interim period. Again, I am sure that we will come to that later today. There is a requirement on government to look at what more we might be able to do in the interim around about second-hand tonnage and where we can bring opportunities there to bear, that I am looking at all opportunities at this present moment in time. He will be aware of the lochfrisia, which was brought into the fleet in June. Of course, we will have additional tonnage coming from 801 and 802 and the island vessels later, but there is a challenge just now in terms of having that additional vessel in the fleet, and I am very alive to looking at opportunities to bring about that investment. I am conscious at the last statement that the Presiding Officer was not able to get in everybody that wanted to ask a question. I am determined that that is not going to happen in relation to this or the subsequent statements, so I would be grateful for succinct questions and more succinct answers as well. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I thank the Minister for Advanced Sight of her statement. The serious problems with Scotland's ferries have gone on far too long, and the ultimate responsibility for this lies with the Scottish Government, but we will, of course, work with the Minister to try and fix it. We cannot afford to make a bad situation even worse, and that is why Scottish Labour welcomes the commitment to rule out privatisation and the unbundling of routes on the Clyde and Hebrides network. Can I ask the Minister, though, why a report was commissioned and paid for by the Scottish Government to tell him to privatise CalMac and unbundle routes in the first place? Of course, if there is a tendering process, privatisation is evidently still possible. Can the Minister therefore confirm that there will not be a costly tendering process for the Clyde and Hebrides network? We need to look at the Government's structures. The Scottish Government cannot distract us from the fact that islanders have an unreliable ferry service mainly because we have an unreliable ferry fleet. It is therefore disappointing and not surprising that this statement on the future of Scottish ferries does not give islanders one single more Scottish ferry. Can I therefore ask the Minister when will capacity be increased, by how much and on what routes? While I believe that Ukrainian refugees should be housed in homes rather than on ferries, it proves that the Scottish Government can charter ferries at short notice. Why have ferries not been chartered for Scotland's isles before now, and finally, will the delayed and unfinished ferries and ferrisons be ready on the new time skills? I thank Neil Bibby for his question. He covered a number of points, so I will try to address those in detail. First of all, on responsibility, I accept responsibility as Minister for Transport. That is why I am here today, sharing the report. Of course, this report should not be taken on its own. We already had a report from the Rural and Economy Committee last session. We have had the public the Audit Scotland report. We now have Project Neptune. There are two further inquiries running in parliamentary committees at this moment in time. It is important that we have cross-party consensus where that is possible on a way forward. In terms of the remit given to Ernst and Young, nothing was ruled out at that time. I appreciate and accept that that has concerned people, but I hope that, given the First Minister's expression on this on my own, we will not be pursuing any routes that look to privatisation in the future, nor will we be considering unbundling. I appreciate what Mr Bibby has said, but the remit given to Ernst and Young was wide. That is why it is included in the report. I encourage Mr Bibby to look at the detail in the future section of the report, which is critical at times of the privatisation option, again strengthening, I think, our belief in this Government on privatisation. On Chiffs 3, Mr Bibby asked me to rule out that it would go out to tender. I believe that it is important that communities are consulted as part of any future delivery model. I think that Mr Yousaf was on record in 2017 in saying that, if we were to pursue, for example, direct award in the future, we could only do so if and when island communities were content to do that. I have announced today that Angus Campbell will lead some of the next steps in terms of consultation, but I would be keen to speak to you and I will be speaking to Mr Campbell early next week around about how we can better consult communities on their views on direct award, because I think that that is hugely— Minister, I am going to have to ask you to wrap up, please. Thank you. The minister will be aware of the long-standing desire of communities in North Uist and Harris to be served by a dedicated vessel each rather than to share a vessel. That would bring numerous benefits. What can the Government do to engage with communities and develop a proper case for such an arrangement? I thank Dr Allan for his question and would again reiterate that that option is actively being looked at. In recent engagement with the community and stakeholders, I have alerted them to that work. Earlier this year, when I was in Mr Allan's constituency, I spoke to a number of stakeholders on this very point in Harris. I will, of course, continue to keep communities updated as to the progress in those developments. Officials have recently received a very helpful study undertaken by the Loch Boyzill ferry business impact group as part of this work, and they have also been speaking to the local authority about the assessments that they have commissioned. I would encourage more to give that sort of information and share it with the Government where they are able to. I know that Dr Allan will keep encouraging his constituents to engage with this process so that a fully developed case can be considered. However, I want to give him a reassurance that that option is actively being considered at the present time. I welcome today's statement, but what we do not have is a firm commitment to procure and build new ferries. Given that we know how long it takes to design, to procure, to build, to manufacture, to fund them properly, to replace the current fleet of ferries, we need to start building them now. When will we see a firm plan so that our islands have some faith that the Government will replace those ferries and that history will not repeat itself in five or ten years' time? I thank Mr Greene for his question. In relation to additional tonnage, he will understand that if there are commercial discussions on going at this moment in time, I am not able to say publicly where we are in that respect. However, I am hopeful that, in the coming weeks, we will be able to say more on that very point, because as we go into winter, I recognise that there is a level of anxiety in our island communities and I want to give them a reassurance. The best way that we can do that is to bring in an additional vessel. I hope that that has given him a level of assurance, although I am not able to give more detail, as I would not have been able to to Mr Bibby in relation to those commercial discussions that are on going at the present time. Fiona Hyslop, to be followed by Rhoda Grant. Does the minister recognise the view that the review of governance of the publicly owned ferry set up is long overdue, after two decades of devolution, and is part of the next steps in response to this report? How will the Scottish Government ensure that there is more transparency and accountability built in? Unlike roads, ferry provision is not underpinned by a statutory framework, is it not time to change that as a legislative framework would provide greater clarity and accountability, which is what the public and communities served by ferries are demanding and should expect? I agree with Fiona Hyslop that this review of governance was much needed, and it is really important that we consider all the findings and recommendations to make sure that what we do in terms of reform makes the improvements to delivery and governance that we and island communities ultimately need to see. That includes how we best demonstrate transparency, public value and accountability, including of course governance. As I set out in my statement, we have made improvements already to some of the issues addressed by the findings within the tripartite itself, but I do accept that more needs to happen. Engagement with stakeholders is really vital in terms of those next steps. That includes employees and unions, because we want to take staff with us, and of course with communities, residents and businesses. I want us to produce those improvements that not only make sense but also provide more clarity on who is responsible and accountable under the current arrangements. If any disruptions impact on the economy, leading to cancellations by tourists, freight being delayed and people being stranded at terminals overnight, what has been put in place to help people stranded because of cancellations and for the businesses impacted? Will she give a commitment that there will be no reduction in capacity to and from Harrison US during the winter closures and no disruption during the summer months, while the work at Uyg Harbour is being progressed? I thank Rhoda Grant for her question. She touched on a number of points. First of all, in relation to people being stranded, of course, this would not just be a role for Transport Scotland, there would be a role locally for the local resilience partnership. That is why I think it is really important that we have a cross-government approach. We have officials from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and islands side of the house as it were, but we also draw in the expertise of resilience officials from Mr Brown's side of government. I think that that is hugely important. We have a holistic and well-informed piece in government that better equips us to provide support when people are stranded. Of course, CalMac has a level of responsibility here, too. I have completely forgotten the second part of Ms Grant's question, I apologise. I am sure that you can follow up in writing. Kenneth Gibson to be followed by Willie Rennie. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Does the minister share my disappointment at the intransigence of people ports who have dragged their feet on the upgrade of a draw in Harbour since 2015, and can she confirm that, while the long-term mental import for Brodyck is a draw in, the Scottish Government is committed to the people and communities of Ireland by investing with associated British ports £3.6 million in Trun to ensure the glen silence can seal to Brodyck from next spring? I share Kenneth Gibson's disappointment that we have not been able to make progress on the works at our draws, particularly given how much time has passed. We are frustrated, of course, in government. I am certainly frustrated at the lack of progress. Now, as Mr Gibson indicates, one of the issues here is that we do not own the port, and I mentioned some of that in my statement, so the complexities around the legal and commercial arrangements have been very challenging, although all parties are now back around the table on this matter. That is certainly welcome, and I hope that we can now make that rapid progress that we need to see. However, there are limits to ministers and, indeed, the community's patience. I am pleased that work is almost complete at Trun to allow the vessel to operate there in the interim until our draws are complete. Having invested in improvements at the harbour to allow the short-term activity to be undertaken, it feels appropriate to consider a longer-term purpose for Trun harbours, so it would be our intention to use Trun harbours as an alternative port of refuge in the longer term. Willie Rennie, to be followed by Stuart McMillan. We will work constructively on that, but there is an inference in the minister's statement that the current terrible state of the ferry service is, in part, a result of the tripartite structure. Is she really saying that? If that is the case, why is the pace of reform not more urgent? I do not accept that that is what I updated the chamber with this afternoon. If Willie Rennie has read the report, he will realise that the report is about the tripartite structure, which is why it was the central feature of my statement to Parliament. I welcome his offer to work constructively. I do not accept that it is all to do with the tripartite structure. I do accept that the tripartite structure brings challenge, and if and when Mr Rennie reads the report, he will recognise some of that challenge in further detail. It is hugely important that we have a structure of governance that works for people, but there are wider challenges on the network just now in terms of that additional tonnage, as I mentioned in my answer to Jamie Greene earlier on. I recognise that this is not just about the tripartite structure, but this afternoon we are discussing a report that focuses on governance, and that is why it has been the focus of this afternoon's statement. Can the minister provide any further assurance about measures to improve the short-term resilience of the existing fleet this winter? On infrastructure, I can confirm that we will complete the Sky Triangle Port investments at Tarbot and Lochmade by Spring 23 and at Uyg by Spring 24. In the coming year, we will also upgrade infrastructure at five ports for Islay vessels and progress construction of the two new Islay vessels too. We will progress work to improve harbour infrastructure for Arran services, as I have just indicated, and we will have a temporary solution in place at Trun to ensure that the MV Glen Sannocks can operate. As the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise confirmed on Tuesday, we expect the Glen Sannocks to be delivered in the spring of 23. On Mr McMillan's second point, there is a lot of work under way to try to improve resilience in the short-term. I have just announced that we will pay for and fund whether monitoring equipment at harbour is owned by third parties, including Stornowate, Lismore, Libra, Burra and Erisgy. Can the minister expand on how we ensure that the interests of island communities, including as full a range of voices as possible, will be at the forefront of decision-making going forward? It is absolutely essential that we involve young people in the next steps in delivery. To that end, I will discuss this further with Agus Campbell next week on how we can get that broad range of views in informing our future next steps. Residents on Harris remain worried that they will not have a ferry service during the 14-week closure of the EWIC pier on Skye next year. Fresh concerns have been raised that there may be a further 12-week period of disruption in addition. Can the minister assure residents and businesses on Harris that there will not be any additional disruption? Will she explore securing a temporary ferry service for Harris during the period of closure? More than happy to answer questions on the situation in Harris. Mr Cameron may know that I have spent a lot of time with the community in Harris since I visited in April, trying to find a better mitigation for that outage. Of course, the original plans for Harris would have seen a six-month closure of the port, which I do not think was sustainable for island residents. Where we are now is that we will have a split in terms of the outage period that will be reduced from 24 weeks, which was the original planned period, to 14 over two shorter periods. This is involved a lot of work by SeaMile Highland Council, who are leading on the work CalMac and Transport Scotland, but also important engagement with local communities. In relation to the risks that he has highlighted, I have heard those risks, but I have been really keen to work with the community to reassure them. On Tuesday of this week, I convened a resilience meeting with the community, and all partners involved in the project in CalMac gave an absolute assurance that there should not be any more impacts to the network in terms of what regularly runs on the route. That should not adversely affect the service delivery in terms of the outage period itself. Mr Cameron asked for an additional vessel. As I said in my response to Mr Greer, I hope to be able to say more on that in the coming weeks. Jenny Minto, to be followed by Beatrice Wishart. As an Islay resident, I welcome the minister's commitments today, especially to improve communication with local island communities and businesses. We also need to ensure that more islanders are more involved with decision-making on lifeline ferry services. Can the minister advise what can be done to improve that? I would also like to take this opportunity to invite the minister to Islay. I will gladly accept that invitation from Ms Minto. I am sure that she will, like me, be delighted that Angus Campbell has agreed to support the engagement work on next steps. We are all agreed that including and hearing from the views and experiences of people, businesses and communities on our islands is key, not just for our islands but on the more rural and remote communities that are connected by ferry to our islands themselves. My predecessor, Mr Day, made a commitment to look at how we could improve people with island experience in board appointments. I undertook to take forward that commitment. I agree wholeheartedly with Ms Minto that we need more islanders involved with decision-making on lifeline ferry services. To that end, I can confirm today that the appointment of Murdo McLellan to the board of CMAIL. Murdo is from the western isles and has a wealth of experience to bring to the board. I am very briefly Beatrice Wishart. The west coast of Scotland is not the only location where there is a need for extra tonnage. The northern isles face known pinch points like the current livestock sales seasons. The transport minister indicates that the Government needs to do better, but what can the minister say to businesses in Shetland who have learned that a recent opportunity to charter a suitable vessel to alleviate the situation was rejected by the service operator of the northern isles ferries contract? I thank Beatrice Wishart for her question. She may be aware that I discussed this issue at length with Shetland Isles Council and other stakeholders when I visited last month. I recognise some of the real challenges for businesses during the busy livestock season. I am told that a freight vessel was identified late in the process, despite an earlier approach from Serco to the owner, but given existing capacity on the current services, they have not pursued this option at this time. I am more than happy to write to the member in more detail on that point, because I recognise some of the challenge that was raised with me by stakeholders when I was in Shetland just last month. Thank you. That concludes this item of business. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item.