Chamber and committees

The estimated cost of a new small ferry is approximately £10m - £12m per vessel and for a new major ferry the estimated cost is approximately £45m - £50m per vessel. These reflect the prices of recently procured vessels.

The Scottish Ferry Services: Ferries Plan (2013-2022) sets out the indicative programme of vessel replacement. The Ferries Plan stated that projects would be taken forward when resources were available and funding prioritised according to need.

Since the publication of the Ferries Plan the following vessels have been delivered into the Clyde and Hebrides fleet;

• MV Hallaig - August 2013 - £11.750m

• MV Lochinvar - May 2014 - £11.750m

• MV Loch Seaforth - November 2014 - £42m

• MV Catriona - September 2016 - £12.3m

In addition, two large vessels are currently under construction by Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd in Port Glasgow for delivery in 2018.

Building on the Ferries Plan, a Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan (VRDP) 2014 was published in October 2015 which considered historical and projected customer demand and the on-going provision of capacity to meet that demand. The VRDP indicates future priorities with additional vessels to replace vessels reaching the end of their working life. An updated VRDP is due to be published shortly.

As part of the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), ScotRail are undertaking a comprehensive review of timetables on the Borders, Far North, Argyle, and North Clyde routes.

ScotRail have not advised of any planned increases to journey times as part of PIP.

In December 2016 there will be some refinements to North Clyde & Argyle Line timetables. This takes cognisance of recent performance and forms part of the normal timetable development process.

The ScotRail Franchise Agreement protects the current journey times through the “Journey Time Metric” which incentivises ScotRail to protect and improve journey times across Scotland.

As the scope of any works to be carried out at Ardrossan has not yet been determined no estimate has been made by Scottish Government.

I have asked Transport Scotland to commission a STAG-style study to assess the options for the mainland port for the Arran service.

This study will look at potential work to improve Ardrossan Harbour, as well as the proposal from Associated British Ports to use an upgraded facility at Troon.

We will engage closely with all relevant stakeholders in analysing the various berthing options on the mainland as well as wider socio-economic factors. I will travel to Arran to speak to the local community and hear their views on the service. I will also meet with both local councils and representatives of the local communities in Ayrshire, as well as Peel Ports and Associated British Ports.

No date has yet been set for the next meeting of the Ardrossan Harbour Taskforce pending the outcome of the STAG-style study currently being commissioned by Transport Scotland on the options for the mainland port for the Arran service.

This study will look at potential work to improve Ardrossan Harbour, as well as the proposal from Associated British Ports to use an upgraded facility at Troon.

We will engage closely with all relevant stakeholders in analysing the various berthing options on the mainland as well as wider socio-economic factors. I will travel to Arran to speak to the local community and hear their views on the service. I will also meet with both local councils and representatives of the local communities as well as Peel Ports and Associated British Ports

The terms of reference of the task force were published following the first meeting and can be found on the Transport Scotland website. http://www.transport.gov.scot/water/ardrossan-harbour-taskforce

In the event of early termination of the ScotRail Franchise Agreement, a Performance Bond provision is in place designed to cover circumstances where Scottish Ministers have incurred or expect to incur additional costs in connection with early termination of the Franchise Agreement.

I have had discussions with trade unions and other key stakeholders on plans to ensure that a public sector body can bid for future Scottish rail franchises. These discussions will continue as the work progresses.

As part of our routine contingency planning, Scottish Ministers have shelf companies ready to fulfil the role of operator in the event of an Operator of Last Resort.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04176 on 14 November 2016. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Regular meetings take place between Scottish Government officials and the Rail Delivery Group. These include four-weekly meetings to discuss regulatory issues relating to the Office of Rail and Road’s 2018 Periodic Review progress - the last of these meetings was on 10 October 2016. The Scottish Government has representation on a number of Rail Delivery Group working groups and also meets with the Rail Delivery Group executive team as appropriate. These engagements cover a broad range of regulatory, rail passenger, and rail freight related topics.

The legislation, recently amended by the Scotland Act 2016, enables bids to be made by the private and the public sector for the provision of Scottish rail passenger services. The Scottish Government is legally bound to properly assess all valid bids received.