 The next item of business is topical questions and at question number one I call Edward Mountain. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether CMAL should accept into service the Glenn Sannocks and 802 ferries in light of reports that they no longer meet the original basic design criteria. Minister Fiona Hyslop. Further delay to the delivery of these lifeline vessels is extremely disappointing and we have made that clear to the yard. CMAL will only accept delivery of the vessels after they receive the required sign-off from the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and the Class Society. CMAL has been clear, along with CalMac and Transport Scotland, that all systems, including LNG, will be commissioned before handover from Fragerson Marine Port Glasgow. The recent update from the CEO of the Yard set out the work and timelines on that basis. The reduced passenger capacity noted in the update from the Yard is expected to be formally accepted through appropriate contract amendments. I thank the minister for that answer. Interestingly, if the seven bids that were originally for the ships Shipyard C and Shipyard D were not accepted because they didn't meet the requirement of 1,000 passengers, 127 cars and 16 big lorries. We know that there are 15 per cent less passengers on the latest recommendation. How many less cars, how many less lorries? My understanding, and I will stand to be corrected if I'm incorrect with this, is that there will be no impact on the vehicle aspects. On the passenger aspects, there are regular meetings to plot the peak demand on the routes that the vessels will be obviously beyond. Therefore, in terms of that issue, the compromises that have had to be made, and there have been, have been agreed in relation to the issues that have been raised by the maritime and Coast Guard Agency. Of course, they themselves are the responsibility directly of the contractor, which is Fragerson Marine. Edward Mountain. Minister, islanders haven't accepted there's going to be less passengers, and the fact that we're in this position is because Fragerson Marine only spoke to the Coast Guard Agency in June of this year about whether the boats met the specification that they'd set out based on 2016 dated regulations. So, what we've got is late ferries under capacity, over budget and not what the islanders were promised. Are you happy with that as a minister? Through the chair always, minister. My responsibility is minister for transport and to represent the interests of islanders, many of whom I have met personally over the summer period. What they want is to have resilience in the fleet. They want not just two ferries, they want all six ferries, and those six ferries that will be completed by 2026 will provide the resilience in the fleet. What they don't want are speculative headlines that undermine the understanding that the vast majority of ferries in Scotland do run to time, that there are far more passengers being carried than ever before, and there are far more groups than ever before. That doesn't help when there are issues and we're going into a period of dried up, but we'll put more pressure on the system. In terms of this issue, I want to make sure that all six of them are in place. Then, Mr Mountain, I'll be happy. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Deng Xiaoping, Parliament leader of China, for more than a decade once said and I quote, it doesn't matter if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice. Does the minister agree that what is important to islanders at this point is not so much the ferry design but that the vessels currently under construction in Port Glasgow join the fleet and begin serving our island communities at the earliest possible date? The member reflects the interests of his constituents that have been relayed to me directly in the meetings that I've had with them. I think that it's a responsibility of the contractors to ensure that the MCA's requirements are met. That is an iterative process. I know that Mr Mountain has had interest in this from his position as convener of the net zero energy and transport committee and he has asked the cabinet secretary for economy a number of questions and that letter is due to be responded to by Friday. That also means that we shared with the rest of Parliament. The last time the price of these ferries mushroomed, I asked if any minister would lose their job. So far, no one has paid the price. More delays, higher costs today. So I ask again, is any minister going to pay the price of this fiasco? I think clearly the responsibilities and the difficulties that the yard itself has faced and the contracts have faced have been absolutely laid bare for everyone to see. I think that the recognition of the responsibilities of everyone concerned has been relayed in my position as minister for transport is to represent the interests of islanders both in terms of tourism but also in terms of freight and to make sure that the systems that we have in place can be responsive. I have direct responsibility for CML and CalMac. I don't have direct responsibility for the Ferguson yard itself but in making sure that we do have a yard that can face the future will be standing by the workforce in that yard as well. I distinctly remember certain people, not least from the member's own party, that made that requirement at the time when those contracts were awarded. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported proposed rationalisation of the Police Scotland estate. As members know, responsibility for the police estate is for the chief constable under the Scottish police authority scrutiny. The Police Scotland estate strategy published in 2019 outlined plans to dispose of outdated, under-invested and under-used properties and to develop a modern fit for purpose estate through consideration of a number of options, including co-location with partner organisations in modern well-equipped accommodation. Since the strategy's publication, Police Scotland has relocated and co-located in a number of areas and continues to take forward projects to better suit their requirements and improve service delivery. This can provide better joined-up services for communities and ensure that we have efficient and effective public services for taxpayers' money. Future proposals, like those previously, will be subject to consultation. Elected members across the south of Scotland have received a letter from Police Scotland informing them of the severe financial strain that Dumfries and Galloway division services is facing. They have had to identify more than £50 million worth of cuts this year alone. The letter also acknowledges that much of Police Scotland's estate is not fit for purpose and that 30 police buildings will be disposed of. It has been reported that, in South Lanarkshire, all the police stations across her other Glen and Hammond West will be closed. In the light of that, can the cabinet secretary provide an assurance that no new police stations will be closed to the public across Dumfries and Galloway? It is important to emphasise to the member that this Government, despite UK Government austerity, has made year-on-year increases investment into policing in this country. That is to the benefit of the member's area but also to the nation as a whole. The budget for Police Scotland has risen by 6.3 per cent this year, an additional £80 million. I have been assured by the current Deputy Chief Constable and the previous Chief Constable that, despite the tough choices ahead, that this provides for safe and stable policing in the future. In terms of the estate that the member raises, it is important to recognise that Police Scotland inherited decades of under-investment by previous Administrations bearing in mind the two-thirds of the properties that they currently have predate 1982. There is indeed a job of work to do in terms of investing in those estates to ensure that they not only meet the needs of the workforce but, most importantly, meet the needs of the communities that we all seek to serve. It has been reported that the plans to close a list of Lanarkshire police stations were circulated to the Scottish Government earlier this year. Do the Scottish Government agree that it received a list of the Lanarkshire police stations that had been identified for closure prior to the Pyrdor period? Let me put on the record for the member and for chamber, Presiding Officer. While I am aware that there is a range of work under way in relation to the 2019 Police Scotland estate strategy, I am not aware of any specific details, including for Lanarkshire or Dumfries. At no point has the Scottish Government requested any withholding of details, as perhaps the member has read elsewhere in the press. It is important to stress—I am sure that Mr Whitfield understands us—that those are operational decisions for the chief constable under the scrutiny of Scottish Police Authority. I am quite sure that he would be the first to object if I overstepped my role in remit in relation to the matter of policing in this country. Thank you very much. Two of the most senior figures in Police Scotland used the phrase slash and burn to describe SNP cuts. The former chief constable warned that Scotland's policing model is unsustainable due to SNP cuts. The police federation warned that people may die as a result of SNP cuts. Crime is rising, public confidence is falling, yet police stations are closing. When will SNP ministers fund our police officers and the state? I am quite sure that I do not need to school Mr Finlay in the facts of the matter, but the facts of the matter is that since 2016-17, this Government has made a year-on-year increase in investment. In fact, £11.6 billion has been invested since the creation of Police Scotland. We have more police officers per capita than England and Wales. Our police officers remain the highest paid in the UK. Public confidence in policing remains high, according to the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey. There is no doubt that there are challenges ahead as a result of many years of UK Government austerity. As always, we will rise to the challenge and serve the interests of policing in this country. It is imperative that we deal with the facts of the matter at hand. We have not cut budgets. Last week, DCC Fiona Taylor told the Scottish Police Authority that there are now over six day co-locations of police with partners and that this, and I quote, providing more sustainable, more modern and safer workplaces for our people. Can the cabinet secretary outline some of the benefits of this approach? Can she confirm that the Scottish Government is still committed to having police at the heart of our communities? I represent a constituency where Police Scotland is co-located with the integrated joint board, with the local authority, with the court system and with a whole range of other partners. We have to accept, as the member intimated, that today Police Scotland has introduced 60 co-locations, the length and breadth of Scotland. That is about responding to policing in the 21st century and, indeed, improving visibility and continuing to be at the very heart of our communities and, first and foremost, serving the needs of those communities with joined up value for money public service. What we have heard this afternoon is nothing but hand washing from the cabinet secretary. She claims that she is not accountable for any of the things that are happening in Police Scotland, but she is accountable for the level of funding. When David Kennedy, the general secretary of the SPF, says that any notion that policing will remain the same and will remain as safe as it has been is just not going to happen, the Government needs to realise that. Then he goes on to say, as Russell Finlay pointed out, that people may die. Why on earth is the cabinet secretary not listening? I absolutely always adhere to my responsibilities day in and day out, but I am also very aware of the accountability that not only I have to this Government, the people of Scotland and, indeed, this chamber, but that is also the SPA and the Scottish Police Service and our local authorities that we all have accountability at each and every level. The facts of the matter—I am quite entitled to point out the facts of the matter—is that this Government has continued to increase investment year on year in Police Scotland and, in fact, the increase in investment for Police Scotland exceeds the increase in the overall justice budget. We have always, where possible, went the extra mile.