Meeting of the Parliament 25 November 2015
No, thank you—not at the moment.
That affection for CalMac is genuine because so many people who depend on its services know that CalMac is the provider. On this side of the chamber, we have great respect for the work of CalMac employees and the excellent safety record of the company, which has operated in Scotland for more than 150 years.
Scotland’s ferry links provide a lifeline service to residents that will continue to be vital in the long term, particularly in supporting industry and tourism, but the idea that that can be done only by a public sector company is something that we do not hold to be the truth. In fact, a large part of the opening speech seemed to be a direct attack on Serco itself, prejudging the outcome of the process in which we are involved.
There seems to be a feeling that the services should not be tendered. There seems to be a feeling on the Government side that it is only tendering because it is a legal requirement. It is a failing both of the Government and of the main Opposition party that they are not embracing the process, which has the potential to deliver improvements in service and greater efficiency. It could deliver more effective and affordable services both for the fare payers who use them and for the taxpayer, who supports them.