Meeting of the Parliament 02 June 2026 [Draft]
Today, once again, Uist is receiving a significantly reduced ferry service, given that the MV Hebrides is out of action and the MV Lord of the Isles is experiencing ongoing technical problems. Last week, the First Minister told us that the amplification of such issues is damaging to island communities. What is in fact damaging to them is his Government’s failure to deliver an adequate ferry service.
A recent survey that was carried out by Visit Outer Hebrides revealed that 96 per cent of the businesses that responded had encountered problems as a result of ferry disruption this year. Those businesses are struggling and need support now. When will the islands business resilience fund open, and will the First Minister consider widening access to all affected island businesses?