Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-19715, in the name of Jamie Greene, on the resilience of Scotland’s ferry network. 14:41

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) Con

The reality is that Scotland’s ferry service is under tremendous pressure: there is no doubt about that. That pressure disproportionately affects our island ...

The Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands (Paul Wheelhouse) SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jamie Greene Con

If it is brief, as the minister will have an opportunity to speak after me.

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Thank you. Presiding Officer, I look forward to you giving me the opportunity to speak later. Jamie Greene mentioned the statistics for the past year. Does ...

Jamie Greene Con

The minister has chosen to mention a very small number of cancellations that were due to mechanical breakdown. I will come on to his amendment in a moment, b...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jamie Greene Con

I need to make progress through my points. By looking at a period of only nine months, the minister is painting a very small picture—I am looking at the pas...

The Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands (Paul Wheelhouse) SNP

The Scottish Government understands the importance of safe and reliable ferry services to meet the needs of our remote and island communities. Those lifeline...

Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

We cannot overstate the importance of Scotland’s ferry network to our island communities. Last year, the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee carried out...

John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Green

Presiding Officer, “It is the role of the Government to provide the long term strategy for continuing to meet the needs of the communities that rely on ferr...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Can I interrupt you, please, Mr Finnie? This is not a private conversation between two people. Please speak through the chair.

John Finnie Green

I will address all my remarks exclusively to you, Presiding Officer.

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

Thank you.

John Finnie Green

The question is why this suddenly became an issue from 2007. I wonder why that year has been picked, because it is very peculiar, to my mind. In the REC Comm...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I am sure that you two can carry on that conversation over coffee later. 15:01

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

I thank Jamie Greene for the debate. He is right that somebody needs to bang on about ferries, and I take considerable pride in having been that someone. I c...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Will the member give way?

Liam McArthur LD

No—the minister will have time to respond later. The internal ferry services in Orkney are already well below the minimum standard that was set out in the Go...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

We come to the open debate, with speeches of four minutes, although there is time for interventions. 15:05

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I am disappointed by the Scottish National Party’s failure to acknowledge that there are is...

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) SNP

Even Liam Kerr was smiling as he made that final comment. Nine days ago, I met CalMac’s managing director, Robbie Drummond, and director of community and st...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame) SNP

And there you must conclude.

Kenneth Gibson SNP

It is clear that our ferries are safe only in the hands of the SNP Government. 15:14

Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

In the northern isles, we are dependent on our ferry links. I have used them since I was a child. We have seen different operators come and go; there have be...

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Jamie Halcro Johnston Con

The cabinet secretary will have a chance to respond later. The delay was blamed on issues around compliance with EU state aid rules. That case would have be...

Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) SNP

I remind members that my wife works part time for CalMac. I will touch on the Scottish Government amendment, part of the Labour amendment and the Conservati...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

No—I cannot hear the quote, and neither can the official reporters. Please continue.

Stuart McMillan SNP

Okay. —“the SNP government who have recklessly mismanaged this contract, wasted hundreds of millions of pounds”, blah, blah, blah. On 2 October, Mr Greene...