I will continue to the last item of business this evening. Before doing so, I remind members of the Covid-related measures that are in place and that face covering should be worn when moving around the chamber and across the Holyrood campus. The final item of business is a member's business debate on motion 1137, in the name of Jamie Halcro Johnston, on recognising the importance of Scotland's ferry services. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I would ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to please press the request to speak buttons now. I call on Jamie Halcro Johnston, who is joining us remotely, to open the debate up to seven minutes, please, Mr Johnson. I apologise for not being able to attend this evening. I thank all those members who supported my motion and made this evening's debate possible. I also thank all those who work across our ferry network—the crews, engineers, mechanics, catering, shoreside and others. Those who, over the past few years, have often in extremely difficult circumstances worked so hard to keep services running where they can, despite facing growing challenges. I am an island and my home is just one of 90 inhabited islands in Scotland, each with its own rich cultural heritage. These communities are valued parts of our nation. They remind Scotland's internal diversity that we are a place of many traditions, but they are also living communities, communities of people who depend on our transport links just as much for finding sustainable work, reaching a hospital appointment or visiting friends and family as anyone on the mainland, and to bring people services and supplies to our islands as well because no island is fully self-sufficient nor exists in isolation. Many characteristics of the islands are shared by remote mainland communities too, whether that is Noida, Dubb, Britain's last wilderness or the entire peninsula, divided in its own way by the sea. The importance of our transport links to each other, to the rest of Scotland and the UK and to the wider world cannot be overstated. They are our lifelines. The communities that depend on our ferries also remind us of our fragility for much of our history. The rural highlands and islands, in common with other parts of remote and rural Scotland, have faced the threat of depopulation. Some have not survived. Islands like Silkyldor and Stroma can see the echoes of societies that have been lost, the abrupt end of human stories that had endured often against the odds for centuries. I say this as a reminder of just how important it is that we get the operation of our lifeline links right. Regrettably, those things are currently going so very wrong. Today, we see a ferry crisis that has been unprecedented in its impact and still rumbles on with little sign of abating. Communities have been cut off at a time when their economic recovery following the worst periods of the Covid-19 pandemic is most needed. If it was Glasgow or Edinburgh that faced such challenges, it would be considered a national emergency, a national scandal even. Even at the height of this crisis in the summer, our calls for a statement from the Scottish Government were rejected because we were told that the transport minister was on holiday. The transport minister is very entitled to holiday, but surely the secretary, his boss, could have stepped in. Such a dismissive response from the Scottish Government suggested that Edinburgh really was not taking the growing issue seriously. That was disappointing because, in the last session of this Parliament, there were some signs that the Scottish Government was, albeit belatedly, starting to recognise the unique challenges that our islands face. Partial support for our inter-island ferry in Orkney and Shetland, albeit with annual fights for funding, the extension of RET or, although again, in Orkney, as far as the Scottish Government is concerned, is now three years overdue on meeting their own pledge. We also saw an islands act that promised new respect for island communities, although I would argue whether many islands feel that respect is anything more than rhetoric. Not enough work has been done to address the backdrop of ageing infrastructure. Whether it is our local inter-island ferries or the CalMac fleet, we see vessels long past their operational lifespans creaking under that load. The consequences are there for all to see. Our procurement must be a major part of any forward-looking strategy, but, sadly, this is where the Scottish Government's failings have been most visible. Since the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee concluded its damning report on the issues at Ferguson Marine, things have gone from bad to worse on the banks of the Clyde. On 30 September, Ferguson's turnaround director warned that the Transport Committee of yet further potential problems and an unquantifiable risk that components in hulls 801 and 802 have deteriorated yet further. It has become a farce, one that I suspect other members will focus their time on this evening. However, what is lacking generally is a unified strategic approach on Scotland's ferries that dares to examine and spell out in cost how long-term sustainability of these vital services will be guaranteed. That requires an acceptance that the current position is expressly unsustainable. The Times noted earlier this year that, at the present rate of construction, it would take more than 85 years to replace the entire CalMac fleet. I am sure that we would all agree, even the minister, that our communities simply cannot wait that long. My concern is that the problems that we see now, largely on the west coast, are a vision of the future for other island communities. The ferries that serve them continue to be pushed to operate well beyond their projected working life. When we hear that bodies such as the ferry industry advisory group have not met since October 2019, real concern is understandable. The SNP Scottish Government has a manifesto pledge to introduce an island's connectivity plans. That is welcome, but the details have been scant so far. An integrated approach is positive, but it must be one that considers ferries in the round and addresses the weaknesses of the 2012-2022 plan. From the Northern Isles perspective, the continuing questions of fair funding and RET for Orkney and Shutland must be resolved. We must also address the importance of ferries carrying freight. For many farmers and fishermen, those lengths often bring their produce to market and make them in businesses viable. There should be a clear role and a supportive approach to those independent operators that are also an essential part of our ferries fleet. Deputy Presiding Officer, there is a great deal of anger being fathred in communities at the extent of the crisis. Anger is justified by the real and present failure in Scotland's approach to ferry connectivity, and there are many promises that have been made as easily as they have been broken. I have attempted today to be constructive to outline what is needed for change to happen and the questions that will have to be tackled. I urge the Scottish Government not to think for one minute that this has escaped the notice of our constituents. They have paid a heavy price in terms of business, opportunities and jobs. They see the threats of closures and depopulation looming and will not be bought off with easy promises of help down the line. What we can do and what we can expect is for the Scottish Government to take ownership of this crisis by admitting that there is a crisis, one that risks getting worse. To set out to this Parliament and to the people in the communities that our ferry network serves, how their links will be sustained, not for tomorrow or for the next financial year, but for the long term. I congratulate Jamie Halcro Johnston for securing debating time on this important matter. Scotland's ferry service is perceived to be both unreliable and to lack resilience. Last summer of the 538 sailings tune from Brodick in July, not one was cancelled. By contrast, in August, Covid-19 infections amongst the crew of the Caledonian Isles and technical problems on the MV Isle of Arnledd to the loss of 86 sailings is the experience of August just as capacities were increased that islanders and visitors remember. Ferry reliability is vital to ensure residents can make essential trips to the mainland and to encourage tourists to visit our islands, which is vital to long-term business survival. This is now at an all-time low. Although many factors are in foreseeable, CalMac's approach to handling bad weather, Covid-19 and technical difficulties present resentment and frustration. Only yesterday we had weather cancellations. However, the Arnferry committee feel there is insufficient flexibility to avoid a default position that restricts supplies and services being delivered in circumstances where the forecast is very likely to result in further cancellations. That should be better recognised to help provide a service to the island. Such challenges need creative customer-centred solutions, and I trust that those are being considered. Island constituents do not accept that cancellations are always the only course of action. It cannot be the case that we head into another winter in the current circumstances. Nor are islanders happy that communication regarding cancellations continues to be haphazard and often late in the day. Particularly now Arn has only one winter sailing per day from La Crancer to Tarbot for supplies and other arrangements must be considered. As a high demand for services, a minister must urgently consider what other resources can be applied to ensure an appropriate service to our island communities. Meanwhile, on the last of Cumbria route, services are halted to deep clean vessels after every third crossing. CalMac prioritised surface cleaning over the risk of airborne transmission of Covid, while pensions are expected to queue sometimes for up to an hour for tickets. Instead, CalMac should work with Strathcly partners of a transport to allow them to pre-book tickets, which show valid concession cards as they board. A simple measure to implement one would think and one that would be greatly appreciated by older island constituents. Only a fortnight ago, damaged to the hull of the Loch Sher, I meant that the smaller Loch Ryddon had to take the strain on the large Cumbria route. Cews were long and once aboard, passengers found the toilets inoperable. The envy island of Cumbria also experienced technical difficulties when called to assist, and many IRA emails from island constituents ensued. Island constituents continually risk concerns about the lack of community engagement with regard to service timetabling changes and details of the fleet renewal schedule, which Jamie Halcro Johnston touched on. CalMac must improve customer service and satisfaction. Port staff are not to blame and are often very helpful, but sometimes bear the brunt of frustrations. The lack of relief staff to work on the island service when Covid outbreaks occur have also contributed to failings of security, reduced irregularity of trips and difficulties in securing bookings on ferries, which always seem to have fully booked card decks. In one instance, I highlighted to me by the ferry at the Isle of Arn ferry committee, a sailing was supposedly fully booked 149 days in advance. In reality, relatively few sailings are fully booked until October. When I last sailed from Brody a fortnight ago, the card deck was half empty. Yet if you try to book next week, you won't find it easy. The ferry committee has repeatedly asked CalMac why this is the case. Island economies are dependent on tourism and therefore the ferry service. Following a pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that local businesses and communities are supported. Arn's current staff shortages are around three times higher than the mainland average, partly due to concerns over ferry reliability, which makes commuting to the island difficult. It also makes families reluctant to move to the island, which is necessary to boosting the workforce, economy and sustainable population. It is vital to ensure that changes that CalMac introduces are in the best interests of islanders, depending on a lifeline service, and that issues are raised to investigate and act upon to ensure that the service runs as efficiently as possible. Services must handle recurring and preventable issues that continuously leave those living on islands fretting about when they might access and return to the mainland. All parties affected by the liability of services are consulted, and must be consulted with particularly islanders to improve the service at island connectivity and quality of life. As for the minister, I have to say that I have always found him available seven days a week, early in the morning and late at night, whenever he is required. I am not really sure about the comments with regard to his hollies. He is certainly spoken to me when he has been on holiday. Thank you, Mr Gibson. I now call Graham Simpson to be followed by Neil Bibby. Up to four minutes, please, Mr Simpson. Thank you very much. I congratulate Jamie Halcro Johnston for securing this debate. Can I start by apologising? I think that I may have to leave before the end of the debate, if that is okay. I suspect that there will be quite a lot of speakers. Are you asking the chair now, Mr Simpson? I am asking for permission. In normal courtesy, we would have been to let the chair know before that, but there we go. Okay, thank you very much. It is not the first time that we have debated ferries, it will not be the last. In fact, we have to tell you that there is a problem, and we do have to. Too many islands have suffered through a dismally poor service. Breakdowns are common, and with an ageing fleet that is not surprising. There has been a chronic lack of investment in ferries over the years, and that has led us to the point that we are at. We just have not had a proper ferries replacement programme, and now we are playing catch-up. It is exacerbated by the situation at Ferguson Marine, where we have two ferries languishing years behind schedule and massively over budget. We do not know for certain when they will be finished. We do know that the nationalised yard is not considered good enough at the moment to bid to build two more ferries. They will be built in Eastern Europe, and it would not surprise me at all if we see them in service before the Ferguson ones. We are also in the embarrassing situation, where we are buying a second hand ferry from Norway to service the Craig Newer to Oben route.  We also have to fork out more than £3 million to prepare her to operate here. Quite what the justification is for that price tag is anyone's guess that the Government has not told us. Jamie Halcro Johnston rightly says that our ferry links are lifelines. He notes the problems over the summer and he recounts the damning report of the former Wreck Committee, which said that it, quote, believes that there has been a catastrophic failure in the management of the procurement of vessels 801 and 802, leading it to conclude that these processes and structures are no longer fit for purpose. The committee said that there should be a root and branch overhaul of current decision-making structures. They were really talking about do we need seamal any more. The then minister-in-charge, Paul Wheelhouse, was completely dismissive of the committee and told them, quote, we do not accept the committee's description of a catastrophic failure. Mr Wheelhouse is no longer here to continue the debate. I suspect that his election leaflet, quoting myself and Alex Rowley, praising him during a debate, not about ferries, helped to put paid to his political career. That's true. Ferries are as vital to Scotland's connectivity as our decent roads and the railways. The Government has to accept that things have not been done properly. They must accept that there is merit in what we and others, including the Wreck Committee, have been saying that we need to, a, invest more in ferries, b, award longer contracts so that operators can procure the vessels, and c, consider whether we need seamal. That has become a party political football because of failings. My offer to the minister, and this is a genuine offer, is to put myself and maybe others on the ferry industry advisory group that hasn't met for two years, I'll even chair it or co-chair it if he wants, so that we can get our islands moving again. I call on Neil Bibby to be followed by Alasdor Allan up to four minutes, please, Mr Bibby. Thank you, Presiding Officer. For many communities, ferry services are quite literally a lifeline. Their importance is exemplified in the fact that ferry usage has remained high even in the teeth of the Covid pandemic, more so than other forms of public transport. It's therefore shocking, Presiding Officer, to the extent to which the Scottish Government has for years presided over the decline, decay and neglect of Scotland's ferry services to such an extent that the Times recently reported that the worsening ferry crisis is driving people off islands. There can be no doubt that CalMac fleet is old and exhausted. It is now prone to breakdowns, delays and chronic disruption. This puts good money after bad. Presiding Officer, and damages reliability so that many in these communities simply cannot any longer rely on these services. The ferry services to Arran and Cumbria are a case and point in my own West Scotland region. Services are operating such a tightrope that a single positive Covid case on the Ardrossan to Brodic route cancelled all salons on 10 October and meant that the only way on and off Arran was via the route from La Cranza to Cintia. Just the following day, the large Cumbria route was out of commission until evening. A replacement vessel was eventually sent from the Collins Drive route, but that meant that this route in turn had to be cancelled. The ferry-serving Collins Drive, meanwhile, recently broke down for the second time in three weeks. This is little wonder, Presiding Officer, when the ferry is 30 years old and counting five years older than the recommended lifespan of a ferry that is 25 years. Almost half of Calmax fleet are now over 25 years old and prone to mechanical breakdown. They should be being replaced, not pushed and pressed beyond safe and reliable limits, and a failed bid to try and patch over the enormous ferry failings of this Government, which sat idly by while students and experts warned of a perfect storm operating an ageing fleet with growing passenger numbers. In fact, passenger numbers increased by 23 per cent between 2015 and 2019, yet only one large and two small Calmax ferries were introduced in that period. As has already been said, this Government has also provided over the fiasco at Ferguson's Marine such that, now, we are buying second-hand ferries, as we have heard from other countries, and a Scottish Yard supporting Scottish jobs and owned by the Scottish Government cannot even make the shortlist to build new ferries in Scotland. This Government just piles insult upon injury, Presiding Officer. It would be completely unacceptable if there was any further delays in the ferries being currently built at Ferguson's. I would ask the Minister to confirm today that there will be no further delays to these ferries, and can he explain why he hasn't visited Ferguson's to see the state of the project for himself, because I think that that is inexplicable? The Government needs to get a grip and finally do the right by our island and coastal communities. We need a national ferry-building programme to replace our ageing ferry fleet and to bring jobs to the lower Clyde and to the communities that have been so ill-served by this Government. As we go forward, there should be representation for passengers and workers in the governance of ferry services, and finally, Presiding Officer, there should be a full review of our ferry services in Scotland to ensure that the right vessels are on the right routes at the right time. I would say that, due to the number of members who wish to speak in this debate, I am minded to accept a motion without notice under rule 8.14.3 to extend the debate by up to 30 minutes. I now invite Jamie Halcro Johnston to move a motion without notice. Happy to move that, Presiding Officer. So the question is that the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes. Are we all agreed? Excellent. I now call Alasdair Allan to be followed by Liam McArthur up to four minutes, please. Presiding Officer, representing and living in an island constituency, which is entirely dependent on CalMac, it would be fair to say that ferries represent the greater part of my daily work at the best of times. It would also be fair to say that this summer was not the best of times. As a result, ferries came quite properly to represent the overwhelming majority of workload for me and my staff. This summer, as we can all agree, a combination of factors made ferry services nothing short of intolerable. Without minimising any of the problems that members have quite rightly debated, some of those factors were, of course, well beyond normal control, chiefly the fact that vessels were on average running at only a third of their normal capacity due to social distancing requirements. Tourists, of course, have the luxury of booking tickets months in advance. Most other people do not plan their lives that far ahead, nor can they. This summer, that fact led to a very unfortunate tension between the needs of tourists, who are, of course, vital to the island economy and those of islanders. I live in Lewis and I am very aware that this summer, at one point, people simply could not travel anywhere for almost any reason. People elsewhere in Scotland should consider what that might mean for them or such a thing for some unaccountable reason to befall their own mainland town. For me, the low point was reached when people started telling me that they were unable even to visit very ill relatives. I should say that CalMac staff and crews went to great efforts to find ways of transporting people in that situation whenever they complained through me. Now, the most extreme situations like that have eased since the lifting of social distancing restrictions and the tailing off to some extent of the tourist season. However, nobody is under any illusions about all the challenges that lie ahead. As I indicated in my own member's debate some weeks ago, services in the future would be more likely to improve if anyone on the CalMac and Seymal boards lived on an island that depended on the ferry services in which those companies provide and the minister provided a helpful reply to that debate. Indeed, the minister has been a very regular recipient of my emails and phone calls and has been in regular touch visiting the western isles and clearly making real efforts to address some of those issues. If I can end on a more hopeful note, I hope that CalMac's new booking system, during the spring, represents an improvement on what everyone acknowledges to be the entirely inadequate booking system that exists now, which Mr Gibson described. I hope that the on-going review of ferry spheres reflects more equitably the deck space that different types of vehicles, including camper vans, actually take up, and that he may be able to say something about those issues in his summing up. The commissioning of two new vessels for Islay and others beyond that, together with the addition of MV Utne, purchased recently in Norway to the CalMac fleet, will certainly make the fleet more resilient, as will the small vessel building programme that was budgeted for the years ahead. As the minister is aware, the challenge is how to add resilience between now and then, so I hope that he will be able to say something more about his efforts in that direction. To conclude, the minister and the Parliament do not really need me to explain any further the importance that ferries have to every aspect of life in my constituency. I therefore appreciate this chance to hear from the Government about the plans for the years ahead in order to continue to improve services and ensure that we do not return to the situation that we faced this summer. I congratulate Jamie Halcro Johnston on securing another member's debate this time on my specialist subject of ferries. Growing up in Sandy in the 70s and 80s, I developed a love-hate relationship with the MV Orcadia. She valiantly plowed the seas around the outer north isles in Orkney every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Cargo was loaded using cranes and nets. Livestock often marched on board up gangplanks at the steepest of angles. Weekends home from the school hostel in Kirkwall could often involve eight-hour round trips around every other island before Sandy was finally reached. Orkney's internal ferry service has come a long way, but now, as then, it remains a critical lifeline for island communities. Now, as then, services must adapt to meet the changing needs of islanders and those communities. Now, as then, those services are crucial in sustaining livelihoods and populations in our smaller isles. It should concern Scottish ministers that Orkney's lifeline internal ferry services falls so far below the minimum standards in the Government's own national ferries pan published almost a decade ago. There is no criticism of those working for Orkney ferries who do their level best, but the fact is that those services fall below minimum standards on fares, on frequency and on the accessibility of the vessels themselves. Nor is it a service being run on the cheap, having cost Orkney Islands Council a small fortune over the years. A commitment from Scottish ministers to cover the shortfall in funding is welcome, if overdue, and I have subjected, as Jamie Halcro Johnston has suggested, to annual horse trading. However, we are still no further forward in the procurement of replacement vessels that are now desperately needed. The current fleet is costly to run, increasingly unreliable and is a disaster in terms of the environment. Unfortunately, Calmax calamities on the west coast have grabbed the headlines as well as the attention of ministers, yet the situation in Orkney is scarcely less precarious. My constituents simply cannot afford for ministers to wait until crisis point before action is taken. We cannot continue with the mend and make-do approach to running lifeline ferry services. We need a proper strategic plan, face procurement of vessels and delivery on time and to budget. Sadly, none of those appear to be strong suits of this Government. Last week, Seymal published drawings of a new hydrogen ferry earmarked to operate on the Kirkwall-Shappensey route at some point in the future. Such innovation is certainly welcome, not least in the context of a climate emergency. However, it does not reflect the strategic approach to ferry replacement in Orkney or indeed across Scotland. For 15 years, SNP ministers have failed to grasp either the importance or the urgency of this issue. For the sake of island communities, for islanders and indeed our hopes of meeting our climate ambitions, that simply cannot continue and I support the motion this evening. I now call Donald Cameron to be followed by Arianne Bridges. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am grateful, like others, to Jamie Halcro Johnston for securing debate time on this exceptionally important issue. I acknowledge the contributions made by colleagues from across the chamber that there is obviously a lot of commonality in what we are all saying. For many, if not all people in the Highlands and Islands, ferry services are lifeline services. They connect families and friends, allow businesses to function, help increase tourism and are integral to local economies. Whilst that can be said, for most modes of transport, our ferry services are different. Not only are they a vital part of island and rural life, but they make living on our islands and remote areas possible. So, when these services are cancelled or delayed for sometimes indeterminable periods of time, it not only makes people feel more remote than they often feel already, but it helps to increase the rate of depopulation in our island settlements. It adds to a sense of fragility in these places. The Scottish Government has recognised the need to reverse the trend of rural depopulation, and that is welcome. However, that Government cannot have that worthy ambition and, at the same time, comprehensively fail to ensure that the very island communities that we seek to revitalise do not possess a robust and reliable ferry service. In the last few months alone, we have seen reports of a series of breakdowns—the breakdown of the MV Lock Seaforth, which serves the critical Stornoway Allerpool route, and the breakdown of the MV Isle of Cumbria, which has redeployed Floric following another breakdown, this time of the MV Lock Shearer. We have had breakdown after breakdown after breakdown. Of course, it has to be acknowledged that this Government failed to do what CalMac told it to do back in 2010, and I have referenced this number of times. It bears repeating. CalMac told the SNP Government that it would have to build a new ferry every year just to stand still. Since the SNP has been in power, it has delivered just five new vessels, of which only two can be considered major vessels. That is an appalling record. Worse still, some 16 of the 31 active CalMac vessels are operating beyond their life expectancy of 25 years. The MV Isle of Cumbria, which I have just mentioned, is now 45 years old—20 years in excess of its lifespan. With all things considered, this is a damning failure of the Government in its time of office. As a result, we are in the middle of a ferry crisis. Although the evidence of failure is compelling, there is a human cost to this, too. As other people have noted, there are hundreds of stories of constituents impacted by the many issues that affect our ferry network. Whether it would be ferries breaking down, timetables being altered, delays in cancellations, issues of lack of capacity—someone from the Western Isles hospitality industry told me that she has lost dozens of bookings due to the lack of capacity on the MV Loch Seaforth. Another person from Isle had the same issue. A constituent from Tyree contacted me some time ago when the MV Hebrides had been redeployed elsewhere and the island was left without a service, or the man from Lewis, who could not get off his own island for three weeks this August. He could not leave his home for three weeks in any other scenario that would be inexcusable. There are countless stories of people in our island communities. It is not good enough. Yes, there are systemic issues about the structure of SEMAL or the operations of CAMAC, as Kenny Gibson mentioned. That should be looked at. However, the blame for that lies fairly and squarely with the SNP Government that has run Scotland's ferries for a decade and a half. As others have noticed, as Jamie Halcro Johnston has noticed, we need a Scotland-wide ferries strategy that will ensure that every island community in need of a ferry has access to a proper and reliable service. That is what the people whom we represent expect, and that is what they deserve. I thank Jamie Halcro Johnston for securing this important debate. As an MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, where many of Scotland ferries operate, I am all too aware that the ever-increasing levels of disruption to Scotland's ferry fleets are causing huge distress in particular to our island communities. Delays, cancellations, unreliability and a general lack of provision are in great part caused by our ageing fleet, and by procurement and bidding processes that are in the words of Session 5's Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, no longer fit for purpose. The cumulative effect is that there is less employment for islanders, additional barriers to living on and doing business on islands and a deterrent to tourism all at a time when island communities and industries have been hit harder than most by the pandemic. However, there is also another problem with Scotland's ferries. The majority run on diesel, which is carbon intensive and damaging to our marine environment. There is growing recognition that that needs to change as COP26 approaches and we all focus in on the nature and climate emergencies. I agree that there is an urgent need for a Scotland-wide ferries strategy ideally sooner than the publication of the island's connectivity plan in 2023. The technology and ideas for improvement exist, but we need investment, leadership and a long-term strategy from government. I would like to see the strategy include the following. As has been called for, of course, we need to expand and upgrade Scotland's ferry fleet. New vessels should be zero or low-carbon such as the electric ferries running on renewable energy in Sweden and Denmark, or Europe's first green hydrogen ferry, which is currently being designed in Scotland, plus more diesel-electric hybrid ferries until we can phase out diesel completely. However, we must also decarbonise our existing vessels. Retrofitting an electric motor to a diesel ferry is a win-win as it cuts pollution, emissions, noise and running costs. By procuring more passenger-only ferries and improving connections with buses and trains, we can future-proof our fleet for increasing levels of active and low-carbon travel by residents and visitors. The Scottish Greens have called for an end to the costly operator bidding process, which eats into CalMac's time and resources every six years and inhibits longer-term planning. Without that, Government and CalMac could take a much more strategic approach to improving and greening our ferry services, ensuring alignment with our climate and biodiversity targets and enabling far more people to enjoy living and working on our islands. Finally, for islanders, ferries are like buses, and I would ask the minister to extend the free bus services to free ferries until under 26. I urge the Scottish Government to consider the need for a Scotland-wide ferries strategy, as was called by Jamie Halcro Johnston, and I support that motion. Ferries are lifelines to our island communities, and if they do not sail, it affects every aspect of island life. I watched in horror over the weekend when there was a relentless stream of cancellations and disruptions, some due to Covid, but mostly due to technical issues, dry docking and the knock-on impact of those. Add to that ferries that are providing temporary cover for those routes are not designed for them, and therefore they are unable to sail in bad weather. We need ferries built and designed for several routes so that they are suitable to cover for broken-down ferries or those who have routine maintenance. That current situation simply cannot go on.  That is just the beginning of the winter, but almost two thirds of the Clyde and Hebridean ferry routes were subject to cancellation or change over the past few days. How on earth can people plan their lives with that level of disruption? The motion pertains to the Clyde and Hebridean services, but there are also issues in the northern isles that have been on-going for years, as Jamie Halcro Johnston and Liam McArthur spoke about. The inter-island ferry services need to be replaced, and the freight service to the mainland is not coping with demand—again, a failure on the part of the Scottish Government. That is not due to a lack of investment. Indeed, the money that is squandered by the Government is eye-watering. Had it been spent properly, it would have replaced the whole fleet. There is also a huge degree of arrogance directed towards those communities from the Scottish Government and their agencies. When communities make suggestions, their ideas are ignored. Given that they use those services, they are best placed to know what would work, and yet they are ignored. A community in Mawl found a vessel for themselves. They had research carried out on how it could be made fit for purpose, yet they were ignored. Another ferry has been procured for that route, which is of course welcome, but the one that they had identified would have been infinitely better. When the people in Lewis asked for two smaller ferries rather than one large one, they were ignored. However, had two smaller ferries been provided, many of the issues that we now face would have been negated. We would have had a spare ferry in the winter to cover dry docking when, due to a lower demand on the Stornoway illypo route, one ferry would cover that route itself. That ferry, built for the Stornoway route, would have been able to withstand the adverse weather conditions on almost every other route. The figures showing cancellations due to weather give a false impression. It is not due to weather itself but rather due to ferries on the route during the winter not being designed to withstand those conditions on that route. I continually warn the Scottish Government on behalf of my constituents of those issues, and yet they ignore everyone. It is that arrogance that has led to this sorry state. However, they are not facing the brunt of the anger and frustration of the travelling public. Sadly, it is a staff who provide those services that hear that.  Add to that the empty supermarket shelves that have been caused by mis-deliveries are simply not fair. The Scottish Government are letting down the hard-working staff. I appeal to people not to take out their frustrations on staff whose own lives are impacted by this mismanagement.  The Scottish Government's answer to all of that has been a review to kick the can further down the road while our communities suffer. Frankly, everyone knows the issues, and they do not need a review to tell them what is wrong. It is a long past being an emergency, and the minister must act to save those communities from catastrophe. I now call Edward Mountain, who is joining us remotely, to be followed by Beatrice Wishart. Up to four minutes, please, Mr Mountain. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I would like to thank my colleague Jamie Halcro Johnston for spewring this important debate. There is no exaggeration to say that the current ferries crisis is a disaster for Ireland and Scotland, and I agree with so much of what has been said in the chamber today. In the last 15 years, the SNP has failed to renew our ferry fleet, and we have left as we have heard with 16 ships over the age of 25 years old. This whole sorry saga of mismanagement of the ferries makes it likely that it could become a film. The title would obviously be called Carry On Without the Ferries, with a working title perhaps of £300 million spent with no boats delivered. This farce is being funded by the people of Scotland at the expense of islanders. Of course, Transport Scotland are the directing agents, and they are ably assisting this by email. The actors in this farce are numerous, and some deserve special mention. First of all, perhaps Alex Salmond, who played a key role in Jim McCall's takeovers at Ferguson Shipyard. Of course, the First Minister, who announced his £97 million ferry contract, went on to launch hull 801 with wooden windows, dummy funnels and no engines. Amser Yousaf, who was Transport Minister, failed to manage the contracts for either 801 or 802 and had no idea that they were so far behind schedule. Derek Mackay is obviously a key player. I have been signed off £127 million of payments for Ferguson Marine, made up of 85 per cent of the contract payments for both ferries and a £45 million loan that CML did not even know about and only ended up with half of one ferry, which was not even fit for purpose. Michael Matheson and Paul Wheelhouse both announced delay after delay to both vessels, but still argued that everything was fine and on budget. Gerna Hyslop, who claimed that Ferguson's had a bright future ahead of it, despite the fact that they would not be allowed to tender for any more ferries in the meantime. Kate Forbes, who has a ministerial responsibility for Tim Hare, is the turnaround director of Ferguson's, who has paid £2,850 per week or has nearly received over £1 million in payment. Having never reviewed his contract, he is oblivious to the fact that he is yet to deliver either vessel. The previous company that he was turnaround director went in to receive it. Graham Day, who we have heard already is now in charge, has failed to meet Tim Hare or even visit the shipyard during the summer after his appointment. Finally, Ivan McKee, who admittedly has a very small walk-on part but went challenged to defend the litany of feed at failures, said, and I quote, these things happen. I am sorry to report that I have heard that the Scottish Government has now been nominated for the Cash Cow Award for awarding a £97 million contract that will likely cost in excess of £300 million. If they win, I wonder who will be asked to collect it. I do not suppose that there are many volunteers or many members in the Cabinet who have not had a role in the past. It is an expensive failure and far from a joke, Presiding Officer. It is expensive to the people of Scotland and to the islanders who rely on our ferries and desperately need new ones. In the past years—and let us get those figures right—our ferries have had 99 breakdowns and major disruptions to services, culminating in nearly 6,000 cancelled savings. I am sure that I do not need to remind the Parliament that the Wreck Committee, which I was convener of, concluded that this fiasco was caused by a catastrophic failure in the management and the procurement of vessels. It also criticised the Government for not having a ferries plan. It never seems to have had one. A resilient network of ferries is vital for the future of our island community. For that to happen, we need a new Scotland-wide ferries strategy. Even more importantly, we need a Scottish Government that can deliver it. After 15 years of failure, it is time for the SNP to improve on its dismal record on failures. Our islanders desperately need the Government to up their game. Mr Bante, could you bring your remarks to close, please? You are a bit over time, thank you. Indeed, Presiding Officer. My real concern is that I do not believe that this Government is capable of doing so. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I now call Beatrice Wishart to be followed by Katie Clark up to four minutes, please, Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and to Jamie Halcro Johnston for securing this important debate. Islanders know the vital importance of Scotland's ferry services, regardless of which island community they serve. While people in the central belt rely on roads for their connectivity to business and social activities, island communities must rely on their lifeline services to do the same. Caring responsibilities, hospital appointments and social situations, including funerals, weddings and holidays, all rely on robust ferry services. The same can be said for visitors to the Isles too. The strong tourism officer, islands have built up over many years, also rely on robust ferry services. The impact of unreliable services cannot be underestimated. Its impact has felt across the community, socially, culturally and economically. Shetland has growing seafood and aquaculture sectors, and with new fish markets, landings are likely to continue to increase. However, despite growth among key local sectors, the Government has failed to take that into account and deliver adequate freight capacity. That is despite warnings that I and local industry leaders have raised repeatedly with Transport Scotland and ministers about the growing freight capacity difficulties. Because of products do not reach their destination on time, that impacts not only on the quality of perishables such as salmon and other seafood, but on the producers' markets. The customer is king, but they can be lost, and once lost they are unlikely to return. The commercial pressures faced by producers, hauliers and their customers are, to quote one industry leader, quite intolerable. Pinch points over the livestock season have also been known about for years. They are clearly known and foreseen. Earlier this summer, Liam McArthur and I warned about possible further disruption after the MV Arrow previously serving Northern Isles routes was chartered to assist CalMac. That came just weeks before the Northern Isles peak season for the movement of livestock. However, that is about more than just pinch points. The Government does not appear to recognise the contradiction in its policies of encouraging growth in food produce sectors on one hand, while on the other it is stifling the very means by which products can be exported to the waiting global markets. When questioned about the failure to ship trailers when needed during the livestock period, the response has been that all trailers were shipped across the week. However, saying across the week demonstrates a lack of commercial understanding of how these markets work. If trailers are not shipped on time, the knock-on impact is very real, with local firms at risk of being hit by costly overnight levees all the while as their trailers sit underutilised on the key side. That happens repeatedly, despite local stakeholders feeding back information to Transport Scotland. In terms of information, it would be helpful if the minister could tell me what evidence Transport Scotland has on unmet need on both the freight and passenger service for the Northern Isles. How many times have companies been unable to ship their trailers or other vehicles at the time that they needed? Is there any system in place to record unmet need, the number of times customers, whether business or domestic, cannot get the bookings that they need? Just this week, I heard from a constituent who was advised by Northlink ferries that they cannot book their January travel because they, Northlink, are waiting to hear from Transport Scotland before they can open up bookings. January is just nine weeks away. I have previously highlighted the case of a removals firm, which, with its ferry bookings, cancelled at short notice. Its business reputation is just as important as other companies. The construction of the Viking energy wind farm is under way in Shetland, and that means an increased volume of incoming freight. Any delay in getting construction materials into Shetland on time because of freight capacity constraints could impact contractual obligations throughout the supply chain. I note Viking's reference to sea freight restrictions in the latest addition of building Shetland's energy future. Then there is the current policy with concessionary ferry vouchers that has reduced the islander eligibility from two free return trips a year to one. I could continue at some length, but time has against me. Suffice to say that islanders recognise the vital importance of Scotland's ferries, and it is long past time that the Scottish Government acted as if they do too. Debate highlights the crisis-facing lifeline ferries, largely created by the failure to invest in the renewal of the fleet over the last 14 years, but also by poor decision making. Most industry experts agree, as has been said, that the average life expectancy of a ferry is around 25 years, yet half of the 31 working state-owned vessels are older than that. More than 1,000 ferry salings have been delayed in the past five years due to mechanical reasons, and only five new ferries have been fully delivered to CalMac since 2007, and only two of those are on major routes. That compares with 12 vessels that were launched in the 14 years up to 2007. Although the management of the project to build the two lifeline vessels at Ferguson Marine has been shambolic and, indeed, is a disgrace, that is not the only problem that we have here, and we need to learn from the mistakes that have been made and learn lessons for the future. Seymal scouring the globe for second-hand vessels or out of desperation seeking to charter vessels such as MV Pentalina from anti-union operators is not the solution to the challenge that we face. I think that what the Parliament has to agree and appreciate is that the reason that we are in this situation is because we have a long-term failure to invest and to plan in new vessels. The current structures, however, are MS and are dysfunctional. Seymal owns the ferries, CalMac operates most of them, but the ports are owned by trusts, private companies or public bodies depending on where you go, so we have a fragmented structure. North Aesha Council is willing to take Address and Harbour into municipal ownership, given that there has been considerable delays of more than four years in getting the private owner of the relevant land to agree to what is required to develop Address and Harbour. I appreciate the Scottish Government's position on wanting to get the best deal for the taxpayer, but, of course, at the end of the day, it is those who rely on the service and, indeed, the communities of Address and Harbour that suffer. In 2017, the Scottish Government said that it would build the case for making a direct award in a house operator for the Clyde and Hebrides services. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government was unable to confirm whether that was still its intention. I hope today that the Scottish Government will be able to confirm that it intends to go down that path and that it will urgently produce a Scottish-wide ferry strategy to commission youth fleet, but also to integrate the fragmented structures that have led to poor decision making. The Scottish Government brought in its flagship RET policy after it won the election in 2007. Of course, that cut fares, but it also led to a significant increase in passenger numbers. That additional stress on the surface was not planned for and was not resourced. I believe that we are in a situation where an urgent plan is required. We need an urgent plan that recognises that we need long-term solutions that ensure that we have vessels commissioned, ideally in Scotland, that will be commissioned and launched over the next 20 years and that the Scottish Government put before Parliament detailed proposals that those who have experience can scrutinise in debate. I now call Jenny Minto, who will be the last speaker before I ask the minister to respond to the debate. I also would like to thank Jamie Halcro Johnston for securing the debate. Mr Halcro Johnston's motion is correct in recognising the importance of lifeline ferry links to Scotland's island communities. I was pleased that he also included in his contribution the importance of connections from mainland to mainland, such as Campbell Town to Ardrossan and Danoon to Gwric. I would also like to thank and recognise the fantastic work that the CalMac staff do both onshore and aboard vessels to make people's journeys as safe and enjoyable as possible. The current problems on the services have made this job more difficult, juggling the different travel needs and expectations of locals, businesses, visitors and public services. I was not in Parliament when the rec debate took place, but I watched it on television. I was struck by the consensus across the chamber from all parties contributing to the debate, all with possible solutions. The ferry issue is a huge one and has clearly been raised by everybody that has spoken in the debate. We also need to recognise the number of sailings that are happening on a daily basis that leave on time and complete their service. I am like Alasdair who has been able to have conversations with the minister on a regular basis, bringing to him issues that my constituents have raised. The delays directly impact on businesses' bottom lines and can cause logistical problems, as Beatrice Wishart mentioned. It impacts people with hospital visits. I, too, would be interested to know the progress of the new passenger booking system with regard to unmet demand. Last week, I spent visiting different locations across my constituency, where I met ferry groups, farmers, businesses and individuals. It will come as no surprise to everybody in the chamber that they raise concerns and a deal of anger about ferry services to me. I will write to the transport minister in much more detail about the points that were raised, but it is important to give a flavour of people's lived experiences, the holier who could not get a booking on a ferry to get cattle feed on to Islay, farmers who cannot get their livestock to market from mull, and B&B owners, as Donald Cameron noted, who were losing bookings. Those who do not have credit or debit cards cannot buy things on board as it is still only card only. Those with hospital appointments on the mainland cannot get car space. As I have said, I have been able to speak to the minister about those issues as have my constituents. Those difficult questions were both asking of CalMac and Seamall. There have been small but important improvements. The requirement of camper vans to have a booking and not sit and stand by queues has made a difference to local people who have wanted to travel at short notice. The reduction in cost for school minibuses, taking island youngsters to the mainland for sporting and cultural events, is very welcome. I also hope that a solution is close to being found to ensure that space is allocated specifically for locals. There have been some improvements that have happened recently. Alasdair Allyn mentioned the two ferries currently for the Islay route and the purchase for the MV Utony. I am slightly lost at the fact that, on one hand, the Tory benches complain that we have a poor service, yet when something is done they still complain. This year, the Scottish Government has provided an increase of £7.7 million in grant support for inter-island ferries and committed to maintaining RET. I have reservations too about the current structures, but I am confident that the island connectivity plan, which will be published at the end of 2022, will deliver good outcomes for communities. The minister will take the necessary action in creating the best integrated transport system for the communities who rely on them. I now ask Minister Graham Day to respond to the debate. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Let me begin by making clear that the Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of our ferry services from the lifeline services delivered for the residents of our island communities to the support that ferries offer to island-based businesses, including those that depend on tourism. I understand the frustration and potential economic impact during periods of disruption. Regarding the recent issues on the Clyde and Hebrides service, I want to make it clear that we absolutely get that those issues were unacceptable to island communities. Whilst every effort is made to avoid breakdowns, it is impossible to completely remove the risk of this happening in technical complex vessels. Yes, some elderly vessels. It is also the case that, during times of disruption, CalMac ferries strive to deliver additional sailings and redeploy vessels if appropriate and possible to do so. However, when the impacts cannot be fully mitigated, I totally understand the anger felt by those directly impacted. I can assure you that I remain focused on the underlying issues around resilience on the ferry network and that we are working closely with operators in this regard. Kenny Gibson made a very good point about communications. Islanders will accept at times that things happen, but I do not necessarily accept that the operator has always been as on-point as they might have been in terms of communication. I do hope that we are starting to see some improvement in that regard. To help those issues, the Scottish Government established a resilience fund in 2018-19 to invest in ferry service to ensure future reliability and availability of vessels. The funding is over and above the annual expenditure for maintenance and repairs and assists to ensure future reliability and availability of vessels. It can be invested in securing spare parts of long lead-in times, but equally it can be used to replace obsolete systems to avoid vessels going out of service, and we continue to invest on this basis. In addition, CalMac has now established a long-term yard strategy. Those contracts allow for closer working relationships between CalMac and the respective yards. Improved planning of overhaul work, improved remedies against delays and incentives for continuous improvement. CalMac is confident—and I expect that to be delivered—that the contracts will see a tangible benefit for island communities, delivering more resilient ferry services while we pursue the replacement programme. It has been a challenging summer, with additional operational demands on top of continued impacts of Covid. As restrictions have eased, we have seen outbreaks among crews that have understandably led to disruption of timetails. I gently say to Kenny Gibson that when that happens, deep cleaning inevitably is needed as is testing of the crews. I know that he knows that. The pandemic has been hard on CalMac staff. I hope that the chamber—I know that it will because I have heard some of the comments—would support me in thanking the front-line operators who have been working flat out throughout this time to support travellers. I have met and heard directly from some of the ferry crews and the ticket office staff across the network over recent months. I have been saddened—in fact, angered—to hear of instances of both being subject to abusive behaviour. It should be said that, for the overwhelming part, those have been isolated instances. Nevertheless, it may be clear that hard-working CalMac staff should not be being subjected to any form of abuse. Turning to the situation with NIFs, let me firstly thank the staff over in that service. Again, I met with some of them whilst visiting Orkney. I want to place on record my appreciation of their efforts across the pandemic. We are entirely aware of the pressures that have been highlighted around freight on the northern island services. That is why we are working towards replacement vessels. Although we recognise the pressures, particularly at peak livestock season, Norfolk has worked hard, along with businesses, to ensure that just-in-time products have been accommodated and that all freight shipments have been carried timidly over the recent annual busy period. We are, as I said, working towards the provision of new freight vessels with larger capacity and shorter journey times. In the interim, we continue to look at initiatives and chartering opportunities to alleviate the current situation. Turning to the construction and procurement of ferry vessels in Scotland, my predecessor took part in a debate on that topic in February, highlighting the range of actions that we are committed to taking towards continuous improvement. My colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy has been keeping the net zero energy and transport committee up to date on the progress with the vessels that are currently under construction at Ferguson's and which sit within her remit. I have recently written to the committee to provide an update on actions that are taking to improve ferry procurement. I have been asking a Ferguson Marine shipyard management for a number of months if I could visit. To hear their side of the story, they are much criticised and there is a great deal of public money involved in the project. I understand that they might not want to just facilitate a visit for one MSP, but I believe that other MSPs would also be interested in visiting. Would he give support to us in visiting the shipyard to find out more about what is happening with those contracts? As the member knows, the responsibility in this area sits with my colleague Kate Forbes, but I am happy to pass that request on to her. Building on lessons to learn, CMAL is procuring the authority of new vessels for the ferry networks and has strengthened processes to include additional diligence and independent verification of the financial standing and ability to deliver preferred bidders. Financial monitoring will continue to be undertaken prior to any contract award and continued at appropriate stages throughout the contract period. CMAL has also committed to obtaining further support from independent technical consultants to work alongside their experienced in-house team when undertaking technical assessments during the procurement process. That responds to the REC committee report. Those actions and others are now embedded in the approach on new procurements. The motion before us calls for a ferry strategy, but we have the ferry's plan supported by the vessel replacement and deployment plans from 2018. More recently, we set out up-to-date investment plans in the infrastructure investment plan in February of this year. I want to make progress for me, which is backed up by £580 million of investment, a five-year pipeline of vessel and harbour projects, and we are working hard to deliver them. The bill on previous investment is £2 billion in ferry operations and infrastructure. However, I recognise that this is more than the next five years. This is going to have to be a much more long-term approach, and that is what we are committed to delivering. We are actively moving forward with delivery, showcased by the commitment to a second new Islay vessel, which demonstrates our determination to add resilience to the fleet as a whole, including through the consequent redeployment of the fin laggan, which will bring benefits elsewhere on the network. That will be in addition to the Gwensanix and the sister ship 802. I am grateful to the minister for taking the intervention. He has referred to the ferry plan, which I know exists, but I also know that it makes very clear how the internal ferry services in Orkney fall significantly below those minimum standards. He has referred to the additional vessels being added on the west coast. Can he update the chamber on what progress is being made to ensure that the services in Orkney upon which my constituents are reliant meet at least those minimum standards, if not better? I want to come to that in a minute. As I said, the progress is being made on the Gwric Dynun called Cregan vessel project and the small vessel replacement programme. Work has begun on other future major vessel projects for Craig and Euroban, Malley, Gluck and Boysdale, as well as the replacement of the two freight vessels for the northern island services. Members are right to hold ministers to account for shortcomings in the ferry network that we are responsible for, but, equally, they need to recognise that responsibility for inter-island ferries lies with irrelevant local authorities. As I have indicated before to William MacArthur and others, we are prepared to assist where we reason we can, perhaps in the form of assistance on design, et cetera, on the shifts that can sit alongside the shifts in the contracts that we are responsible for. We will continue to work with local authorities in that space, but let us be clear that the local authorities are responsible for the replacement of the ferries. I have also been clear in my extensive engagement with communities and in response in the chamber that we have heard the strong views of stakeholders and are actively exploring further future vessel employment, recognising that. Presiding Officer, if you will indulge me because I have a lot to respond to. Minister, I think that that is very generous of you, but we do have a deadline, certainly, of 6.45.46, but presumably one would be… We shall be finished before then, Presiding Officer. Thank you for your indulgence. We recognise that this new tonnage will take time to come into service, which is why we continue to task CMAL with sourcing additional second-hand vessels to improve services and bring additional resilience to the fleet serving the quiet in Hebrides and the Northern Isles. I was delighted to announce that the MV Utney has been purchased by CMAL. That purchase is proof that, where we can, we will take steps to improve matters now. I do gently point out, as Jenny Minto did, that we are criticised for insufficient capacity in the fleet, then criticised for taking steps to alleviate the situation either by purchase or time charter. Members have touched on the islands connectivity plan. We are preparing that as a replacement for the ferries plan and very much taking account of the views of the communities in that regard. It will include an even longer-term investment programme for new ferries and developments at ports, because Katie Grant is right to talk about the port situation. Absolutely is. This is something that we need to address. We need to improve resilience, reliability, capacity and accessibility, and increase standardisation, cutting emissions and meeting the needs of our communities while providing value for money. I do not want to interrupt the flow, but I feel that it is excellent that several interventions were taken and Julie responded to it at some length. Equally, I think that the initial time that you had was seven minutes that the minister had, so I think that we should be looking to bring to the equity of availability on the part of every speaker. I want to finish by highlighting the fact that there have been improvements of weight. The purchase of the utany measures around school minibuses, the thorny issue of motorhome carriage and enhancing the role of the community board. That refutes the idea that I or my officials are arrogant when it comes to responding to reasonable suggestions and asks from communities. To conclude, there is much more to do. I recognise that, but I think that we have demonstrated over the past few months that we absolutely get the need for improvement and, more importantly, are taking the tangible steps to deliver that. Thank you minister, and that concludes the debate, and I close this meeting.


Anglers on Malox Lake will be allowed to keep one walleye a day in the upcoming ice fishing season. The DNR on Tuesday said the popular destination lakes walleye population has increased enough to sustain a one walleye harvest for a third straight winter. Anglers may keep one walleye between 21 and 23 inches or one over 28 inches. Walleye angling on Malox was limited to catch and release this summer for the third consecutive season. DNR officials say the Malox walleye population has undergone a long-term decline coinciding with significant changes in the lake's ecosystem, including clearer water, invasive species, and declines in forage species such as perch and tulibies. Another problem has been the failure of enough young walleyes to survive until their second year. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.