Chamber and committees

Thank you.

I want to move on to the future of ferries, which is the subject of this inquiry. I will put this question of Robbie Drummond first. What involvement have you had in project Neptune? Do you have any views on its recommendations? There is speculation about a possible merger of Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and CalMac Ferries. This is your opportunity to say publicly what your view is. How do you think the organisation or organisations tasked with ferry delivery should be structured? I think that you were listening into the session with our Norwegian witnesses, who have a completely different model. Do we need to be a bit more radical about what we are proposing for the future?

I think that the 12-month extension is a pragmatic move. It is a wise thing to do for a number of reasons. However, I am less convinced that the engagement with churches has been what it needs to be, particularly bearing in mind the points that have been made about companies and the original legislation, and the fact that there were other means by which the information in question could be sought. It has also been brought to our attention that the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill, which is currently going through the Parliament, has a requirement on transparency, whereby trustee information must be included.

It was interesting that the minister set out the four kinds of information that are required. If use could be made of the 12-month period to look at the practicalities involved in those four areas, perhaps something sensible could be arrived at. I think that the worst thing that we could do is not approve the instrument, because we need the time for such consideration to take place. However, we need to take close cognisance of the points that have been made.

The minister is absolutely right to say that we must have standards for everybody and that, if we have exemptions for one group, that can lead to inequities elsewhere. That has obviously been the judgment that has been taken so far, in deciding not to look at policy reform. I think that there might be an intelligent way to address the issue, because many churches are very vulnerable at the moment, and they are helping vulnerable people. In some areas, the proposed requirement might deter people from taking on responsibilities, which is the last thing that we want to do. If anything, land reform is about getting people to take more responsibility and to be transparent, but our churches probably need a bit more support and engagement.

I propose that we support the instrument, but we must keep a close eye on the situation. I will be interested to see how engagement proceeds with the Church of Scotland in the forthcoming year.

Good morning. We are very grateful to the witnesses for joining us today. I am interested in the experience of ferry operators and how they prefer to provide capacity. Does the model that is used involve larger vessels that provide fewer sailings, or do two or more smaller vessels that operate on the same route provide more frequent services? What are the advantages and disadvantages of that?

Dag Hole, on slide 10 of the submission that you sent us, you talk about pilots, time in the market and innovations. I am interested in whether things have evolved over time and what the timeframe has been to get to the stage that you are at now.

It was about the choice by ferry operators to operate either one large vessel that can provide fewer sailings but take more passengers or freight, or smaller vessels that can sail more frequently. Is there any preference? Is there a specific system that they operate?

We all agree that communities need to be front and centre—that is part of our inquiry—but obviously we want to draw on the experience of everybody who can help shape that future.

I put the same question about the islands connectivity plan to Robbie Drummond. What are the opportunities and potential of that plan to help to improve reliability and serve rural communities?

We are conducting this inquiry in advance of the islands connectivity plan and we plan to inform it, and Transport Scotland is currently consulting on that long-term plan for vessels and ports. What input have you had into the development of that document? Does it have the opportunity to deliver a ferry fleet that fit for future needs of our rural communities, particularly with regard to net zero and other areas? Do you think it can be flexible enough to make sure that we have a lower-emission ferry fleet? Obviously reliability is a huge part of that. What are your ambitions for and expectations of the islands connectivity plan?

Surely you have something that you can say about what you think it might look like in the future.

Another colleague will ask about the weather issues more generally but I want to address the specific point about people’s experience. When people have cancer operations or diagnoses it is very emotional and can have a big impact on their lives. You say that what is in place is working, but people tell us that they have to travel far in advance, as an insurance policy, because of the reliability issue, whether the issue is caused by weather or something else. You say that there are emergency arrangements that people can use—maybe for funerals and other things that come up with short notice or for, say, operations that are planned in advance. Obviously people do not want to miss a long-planned arrangement such as a medical operation but, obviously, with funerals, they have little choice on timing. How do you know that what is in place is working, given that we have been told that there is that disconnect, and that people cannot have that access?

I will ask NorthLink: is there a disconnect between what people are telling us about their experiences and what your passenger satisfaction levels are telling you?