Scottish Parliament – March 19, 2025 – 1

S6M-16845.2: As an amendment to motion S6M-16845 in the name of Claire Baker (Reforming Scotland’s West Coast Ferries), leave out from “deplores” to end and insert “recognises the challenges that have faced a number of island communities with ferry service disruptions but notes that CalMac crews delivered 95.8% of services in the last recorded contract year;

welcomes the provision of over £530 million in 2025-26 for maintaining and improving ferry services, replacing vessels, upgrading ports and harbours, and investing further in low-carbon inter-island ferries, with at least £21 million to progress phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme;

acknowledges that the delivery of six new large vessels, providing fleet resilience, and the procurement of seven new small vessels, which is currently in the 10-day 'standstill period', and the replacement for the MV Lord of the Isles, will provide 37% of the total fleet with new vessels, helping to reduce emissions and create more sustainability, resilience and reliability for residents, businesses and communities;

notes that public engagement is being undertaken in Orkney and Shetland to inform the procurement of two new freight vessels for the Northern Isles services;

acknowledges the work underway to make a direct award for the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, and the roundtable with all stakeholders, including the Ferries Community Board and trade unions, to collectively discuss ambitions for the contract, including putting public service delivery and accountable key performance indicators developed with communities at its heart, and agrees that delivery of the award will then provide the space and opportunity for more fundamental reform of governance.”

Original motion(S6M-16845): That the Parliament deplores the continuing economic and social damage inflicted on Clyde and Hebrides communities through the Scottish Government's failure to provide adequate ferry services;

calls on the Scottish Government to reconsider its decision to impose a 10 % increase in fares on Scottish Government funded ferry services, contrary to the recommendations of the delivery companies;

is concerned that no Scottish yard has been selected to deliver any of the ferries in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme;

believes that the governance structure for west coast ferry services has failed, and calls for the award of a new Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract to be accompanied by a fundamental reform of governance, which puts island communities and workers at the heart of decision making and accountability.