Chamber and committees

I want to pick up on the contractual relationships. I will put my question to Stuart Garrett first and then Robbie Drummond. There are obviously contractual relationships between your organisations, Transport Scotland and CMAL. Earlier, the committee heard from our Norwegian witnesses that, in their case, the contracting authority can change the contract. They described that as not bureaucratic and said that it is quite easy. They said, “We change the timetables every year and it is quite flexible.” That begs a question. Does the contractual nature of Serco NorthLink’s relationship with Transport Scotland and CMAL hinder your ability to provide service innovation or change, or do the contracts have in-built flexibility such that you can react quickly and effectively to changing customer demand?

I have a final question that goes right back to what we spoke about earlier. CalMac will retender, one assumes—if you cannot confirm or deny it—and the tendering process will happen in September or October 2024. There may be a new provider or you may stay incumbent. If your CalMac was to go for that tender and lose it in 24 months, such that Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) does not have another client, what happens to the crew employed from Guernsey?

But not for a Guernsey company because that—

I am asking about the position more widely, rather than just the position in relation to the Church of Scotland.

I am very grateful for that. What I am hearing is that you are setting basic requirements, but you quite clearly said that you have demands on emissions.

Robbie Drummond, I will stick with you. The committee has heard from Maritime Services Management that CalMac’s large ferries

“carry a far larger crew than required.”

We have also heard that the MV Loch Frisa operates with 15 or 16 people in Scotland, whereas it was operating with four in Norway. What is your response to that? If it is a fair point to say that CalMac is operating with a larger crew, why are you operating with a larger crew?

That is very interesting. Can you explain that point about additional berthing? Is that anything to do with the ports and harbours that we just heard about and the standardisation?

Forgive me, but I presume that you asked, “Is 12 months the right period to achieve what we are trying to do?” I presume that you went to them and said, “We are trying to ease the burden and the cost. We are looking to extend this by 12 months. Is that the right time to achieve that or is there a better time? Do we only need six months? Do we need 18 months?”

It has been part of the conversations, but no one has said to you whether they think that it is the right period.

Thank you. Dag Hole, is it right that, subject to fulfilling whatever is in the contract—to reflect back what Harald has just told us—it is entirely within the discretion of the ferry operator to procure whatever vessel the ferry operator considers will fulfil the remit in whatever form that might take? Is that correct?