Chamber and committees

The information requested is not held centrally. Information on the number of hospital discharges per year for the last 5 years in Scotland for interstitial lung disease was provided in response to S5W-20839 on 23 January 2019. 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20842 on 16 January 2019. 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 .

The Invitation to Tender, which includes the specification for the next contract, will be published on Transport Scotland’s website in due course. Bids are currently required to be submitted by 28 March 2019.

Bidders have been supplied with information and data related to union representation, collective bargaining, staffing and crewing numbers, terms and conditions of employment and pension provision. Bidders are required to make their own arrangements to engage with the unions on such matters.

The total value of the eight-year contract is estimated at some £370 million of public subsidy required to cover the costs of operating the ferry services. This equates to an average contract value per annum of some £46.2 million. A more detailed breakdown of the estimated value of the subsidy and fares revenue is not disclosed during an ongoing tender exercise, with this being a matter for individual bidders to consider when pricing their respective bids.

The current freight vessels, the MV Helliar and MV Hildasay have been made available to bidders. Bidders can also propose alternative vessels.

The procurement will use the Restricted Procedure. Bids are currently required to be submitted by 28 March, with a view to awarding a contract in August, ahead of the new ferry service commencing on 31 October 2019.

During a Food and Drink parliamentary debate in September 2018, we undertook to introduce legislation to underpin the excellent work already being done to deliver the Good Food Nation ambition. The Good Food Nation Proposals for Legislation consultation launched on 21 December 2018. The focus is on a straightforward framework placing responsibilities on Scottish Ministers and selected public bodies with regard to food.

The Good Food Nation framework will include regard for food insecurity and relevant international human rights instruments. The option of exploring a right to food which is directly enforceable as a matter of Scots law is being considered by the First Minister’s Advisory Group on Human Rights Leadership. The Group reported in December 2018 and full account will be taken of its recommendations.

We have confirmed our intention to introduce an agriculture bill, primarily to provide the framework for the continuance of rural payments. The bill will provide the powers necessary to implement “Stability and Simplicity: Proposals for a rural funding transition period”, on which we have already consulted.

Serco NorthLink Ferries is a commercial operator. As such, any financial information in relation to the amount of revenue raised from passenger fares during the extension of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract and how much would have been raised without the introduction of road equivalent tariff is commercially sensitive.

The cost effectiveness of the policy to introduce Road Equivalent Tariff will be evaluated, in due course, as part of the planned evaluation of what has been a significant policy change.

Scottish Ministers have in place two Operator of Last Resort (OLR) companies with the required licenses, to be utilised in the event that either of the two current Scottish franchise operations requires to be operated by an OLR company to ensure continuity of service.

We will continue to work with Abellio as the Franchise Operator to improve services across Scotland.