Hansard

The next continued petition is PE1722, on parking charges at island lifeline ferry ports, which was lodged by Dr Shiona Ruhemann on behalf of Iona and Mull community councils and others. The petition calls on the Scottish Government to island proof transport infrastructure to ensure that public bodies do not charge for parking in car parks at island ferry ports, which are essential lifeline services, and that any proposed island parking charges are subject to rigorous impact assessment. Since the last consideration of the petition, responses have been received from the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands and the petitioners. In his response, the minister advises that he wrote to all six island strategic group authorities to get a full picture of the approaches that are being taken to parking at island ferry ports. Their responses can be found in our papers. Responses are currently outstanding from two councils. In their response, the petitioners raise concerns that the minister’s submission demonstrates the “inconsistent understanding and responses of island councils to the shared challenges for island communities.” That important information has been provided to us. The force of the argument about ferries being lifeline services for local communities is important. Any further decisions will include a proper island communities impact assessment, which perhaps might give people reassurance, so the question is what we want to do with the petition. I am reassured that there has been a step back from the decision that triggered the petition in the first place and that the island communities impact assessment will ensure that people who are going to the mainland to work or to hospital or whatever are not disadvantaged in a way that they would not be if they were in a mainland community.