Jim Fairlie
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“The Scottish Government recognises the challenges that certain plant and animal species pose to agricultural businesses and is supporting farmers to manage those impacts.”
“Will the Government also commit to implementing a more pragmatic licence application scheme for the removal of species where the impact on business and other conservation species or habitats is clear? Jim Fairlie: As Amanda Lindsay points out, there is a management scheme.”
“The Scottish Government remains committed to that work. Indeed, in September, in the Scottish Parliament, I hosted and chaired a constructive round-table discussion on alternative farrowing systems with representatives from the Scottish pig industry, animal welfare organisations and academia.”
“Therefore, we will be working closely with the UK Government and other devolved Administrations on the delivery of the programme. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting.”
“I welcome Joe Fagan to the chamber. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting agriculture, food production and our food and drink sectors in a fair manner. In March, we published our first rural support plan, outlining support for the next five years and providing the clarity, certainty and opportunity to plan.”
“At column 3, paragraph 3— Original text— I point out to the member that we are doing this in concert with the UK Government. There is a joint consultation ongoing as we speak, and I have confirmed with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers our agreement to do that joint consultation.”
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“At the same time, as has been highlighted today, we are seeing Labour decimating the future of Scottish farms. It cannot get away with it. It cannot defend its position on a cruel family farm tax that could threaten up to 75,000 farms across the UK, which would strip away the ability for farms to plan, to invest and to grow. This weekend, I was with my father and my brother, who farm on the Welsh border. They are organic dairy farmers who have 350 cows and work 24 hours a day. They barely get time to eat in the day. It is a hard life. I felt quite moved by what my dad said. I should not really be saying this, but he said that he was not sure about the future of dairy. Jim Fairlie said that dairy cow numbers have not declined, but we know that they declined between January 2024 and 2025.”
“When I speak to businesses in the sector, I hear that high energy costs are a huge problem, and that there is excessive bureaucracy at local government and Holyrood level. There is also a deeply unfair business rates system that puts businesses under immense strain. In addition to that, we have overregulation that is stifling innovation. The Government is about to have a round-table meeting on gene editing. I would love that to be a cross-party effort, if possible, because the Scottish Conservatives are 100 per cent behind that. We want our producers to be as competitive as others and not be disadvantaged. We want people to be able to compete on a level playing field with the rest of the UK and beyond, whether in Europe or globally.”
“I was there. Rachael Hamilton: Jim Fairlie was there as well—[Interruption.]—and Emma Harper. Those awards celebrated the outstanding businesses in our constituencies that keep rural communities thriving. I was delighted to see businesses representing my constituency—the Allanton Inn, the Gordon Arms, Andersen & Sondergaard and Scott’s of Kelso—all of which are fantastic businesses that provide the very best of Scottish food and drink. We must address the elephant in the room—the current policies of Labour and the SNP Government, which are making it harder to produce food and drink in Scotland. Economic mismanagement and neglect of rural Scotland are threatening the industries that are vital to our rural economy.”
“However, there have also been some recent incidences of what the Scottish Gamekeepers Association has called “guerrilla rewilding”, in relation to the illegal releases of lynx and feral pigs. I therefore ask: what is the Scottish Government doing to tackle what is a very serious problem? Jim Fairlie: I absolutely agree with Liz Smith’s point. I reiterate that we strongly condemn the illegal release of any species in Scotland. The recent releases of lynx and wild boar in the Cairngorms were extremely reckless and caused legitimate concern for the public, as well as posing serious risks to the welfare of the animals that were released. Police Scotland is currently investigating possible sightings of lynx in Galloway, and NatureScot has put trail cameras in the area.”
“The Scottish Government has taken numerous actions to tackle wildlife crime in recent years, including increased penalties for the most serious offences, licensing schemes for hunting with dogs, and increasing the powers of Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inspectors. We work with a number of partners to raise awareness of wildlife crime. I was pleased to open the Scottish wildlife crime conference last week and to witness the partnership in practice. I also highlight the recently published 2023 annual wildlife crime report, which reported a decrease of 23 per cent in recorded wildlife offences in comparison with the previous year’s report. Liz Smith: It is encouraging that there have been some better statistics of late.”
“Ms Gougeon has met Mr McLennan, and there are various other measures in relation to making sure that agricultural rural workers are looked after properly.”
“Maggie Chapman: I am glad to hear of that progress, because the issues that are facing migrant farm workers in Scotland are well documented. They include unsafe, poor quality and cramped accommodation, pay being withheld or not in line with the agricultural minimum wage, and travel not being supported or accounted for in hours. In the north-east, sadly, those experiences are common. In advance of the forthcoming season, what more can the Scottish Government do, working with partners such as NFU Scotland and the Worker Support Centre, to ensure that the food that we put on our tables has not been produced in exploitative and punitive conditions? Jim Fairlie: As I said in my initial answer, the Scottish Government is providing funding through various support mechanisms.”
“We fully recognise the valuable contribution that migrant workers make to supporting Scotland’s seasonal production and the economy. The Scottish Government supports those workers by enforcing the pay and conditions that are stipulated in the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order 2024; by funding the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution to provide practical, emotional and financial support; and by subsidising the Worker Support Centre, which it has done since 2022, to prevent labour exploitation and inform future policy. Ms Gougeon met Mr McLennan last September and actioned Scottish Government officials to scope and develop a bespoke standard to uphold conditions for seasonal workers’ accommodation. That work is on-going and is engaging with relevant stakeholders.”
“On the substantive part of Pam Gosal’s question, the Scottish Government is doing everything in its power to make sure that we create an industry that is resilient in the long term for the people of Scotland, to provide food security and to help to maintain our environment and our biosecurity. A range of measures are in place to do so. The Deputy Presiding Officer: There are a number of supplementaries. I will try to get in as many as I can, but they will need to be brief.”
“What is the Scottish Government doing, for its part, to ensure that the farming industry does not disappear because of too-harsh taxes? Jim Fairlie: As Pam Gosal is aware, those tax decisions are made by Westminster. I very much want them to be made here in Scotland so that we can create suitable—[Interruption.] Finlay Carson is shaking his head. The Conservatives ask us these questions and when we give them the answers, they shake their heads. The point that I am making is that if they want to have tax decision-making powers in the Scottish Parliament, they have only to vote for that and we will manage to make it happen.”
“The UK Government must also urgently commit to undertaking and publishing full impact assessments of the impact that the changes will have in Scotland. This issue demonstrates why it would be better for all tax powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, so that a suitably tailored position can be created for Scotland. Pam Gosal: With international instability increasing, food security has never been more important. Placing more burdens on farmers only increases the cost of food production, so many farmers leave the industry. I have been contacted by constituents from East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire, and from Argyll and Bute, who have expressed concern about the dangerous UK Labour Government’s family farm tax.”
“As I have said previously, the issue has been raised with the UK Government on a number of occasions, most recently on 6 February with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. We will continue to engage with the UK Government on the issue. The changes to the agricultural property relief will hit farming families across Scotland, so it is disappointing that there was no prior indication of the change or engagement with the Scottish Government on it. Scottish Government officials are working alongside their counterparts in His Majesty’s Treasury and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to ensure that Scotland’s tenant farmers are protected from the UK Government’s poorly designed changes and do not become liable for inheritance tax. Our position remains unchanged: the changes to inheritance tax should be paused and an immediate review carried out.”
“There has to be a way for us to cohabit with the gulls in one way or another, either by reducing their nesting or by creating difficulty for their nesting. Killing them, which is what I am being constantly asked to do, is not the answer. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I would encourage members to ask their questions and then not seek to ask more or make comments from a sedentary position.”
“Jim Fairlie: As I said in my initial answer, I am well aware that urban gulls can cause problems, but there is absolutely no doubt that the number of gulls is dropping. Businesses and people can do more to protect their own properties by not leaving bags of rubbish and by not allowing feeding in towns and cities. To make sure that we preserve— [Interruption.] Douglas Ross is sitting shaking his head. I will give the member some numbers. The number of lesser black-backed gulls has fallen by 48 per cent in their natural environment, yet it has gone up in the urban environment. [Interruption.] There is a responsibility on all of us. I am not dismissing the point that Douglas Ross makes. I absolutely get the fact that urban gulls are a problem, but killing them and giving out licences willy-nilly is not the answer.”
“The Elgin common good fund has spent more than £50,000 in the past two years, yet the problem persists. Elgin councillor Pete Bloomfield told me about a case of an elderly resident who left her bungalow, was attacked by a gull, fell over and broke her leg. Her carer then came outside and was also attacked by the gull. When the elderly resident returned home from hospital she was attacked again, and she was then fearful of leaving her home at all. Does the minister accept that the problem is a growing one in communities such as Moray and across the country? What can be done about it? Will he meet concerned MSPs from across all the parties to discuss the issue in more detail?”
“Like all wild birds in Scotland, the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe, gulls are protected by law and should remain so. I appreciate that gulls can be a serious nuisance in urban areas. The answer is not to allow free rein to kill those birds, especially when the overall numbers of gulls, taking natural and urban populations together, are in decline. To help tackle the problems, local authorities and property owners could do more to deter gulls from nesting on their properties. NatureScot can and does provide licences for lethal control where there are issues of public health and safety. Douglas Ross: That response is completely tone deaf to the problems that we are seeing up and down the country. For example, Moray Council has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on the issue, to no effect.”
“We continue to support the dairy growth board in seeking further opportunities for producers, including new routes for exports, product listings, domestic retail and investment in processing in Scotland. That work is producing results, including a 140 per cent increase in cheese exports since 2021.”
“The dairy sector is providing produce of peerless quality and is synonymous with my South Scotland region. Can the minister outline how the Government intends to help ensure the future prosperity of this vital industry for years to come? Jim Fairlie: I absolutely share Emma Harper’s views, and I welcome the recent news of Arla’s investment in Lockerbie. It is a real vote of confidence in Scotland’s dairy sector. This is an exciting time for dairy in the region, with the Scottish Government also investing £4 million into the Borderlands inclusive growth deal dairy nexus project, which will drive transformational research and innovation to decarbonise the dairy sector. The rise to the top 2030 strategy outlines the ambitions for growth for dairy in Scotland to ensure future prosperity.”
“The Scottish Government remains committed to maintaining direct payments, which provide vital stability to agriculture, and we will continue to co-develop new support to improve the sustainability of farming. This year we have provided £135,000 to the dairy growth board and the Scottish dairy hub. Additionally, the recently announced flexible capital grants will provide at least £14 million in the first year to support the sector for investments in a range of areas. We are also allocating capital to food processing and marketing support to benefit the sector. Emma Harper: The recent announcement from Arla Foods about a potential £90 million investment for a centre of excellence at Lockerbie could be the beginning of an exciting new chapter for dairy farming in the south of Scotland.”
“Let me be clear that crofting is a vital part of our rural economy culturally, economically and socially. That is why my officials and I have worked, and continue to work, with the crofting community to ensure that the proposals meet their needs, and it is why I have instructed my officials to write to the chief executive of the Scottish Crofting Federation, asking her to meet me to discuss the best way forward. The regulations have been drafted to come into force on 5 March 2025 so that farmers and crofters can set out in their single application forms which two plans they have chosen this year. The SAF window opens on 15 March and is expected to close on 15”
“In 2025, we are asking that two of the following plans and audits be undertaken: an animal health and welfare plan, a nature report, a carbon report, an integrated pest management plan and a soil report. Businesses are free to select which two they undertake, based on their situation, and two of the requirements already have equivalents—an example is the animal welfare plan from Quality Meat Scotland. We have been asked about that regularly. I make it clear that the whole-farm plan approach was developed with the industry. We have worked with farmers, crofters, agricultural stakeholders, skills delivery partners and our environmental partners to develop the new conditionality. I note the recent response from the Scottish Crofting Federation.”
“The regulations seek to introduce the foundations of the whole-farm plan approach as a condition of the basic payment scheme. I make it clear that this is about ensuring that our farmers and crofters have the information that they need to be more productive and more profitable. The approach will baseline their current practices, allowing them to progress and to measure their progress. We had an extremely interesting meeting today with John Gilliland, who states: “If you can’t measure, you can’t manage it.” What we are doing will highlight the good practices that are already being undertaken to help people to identify where they could become more efficient, cut emissions and increase biodiversity while continuing to produce the high-quality food that we all want them to produce.”
“Jim Fairlie: I absolutely agree with everything that Roz McCall has said. We can continue to put on the pressure, but the absolute best result that we could get would be for Scotland to be an independent country so that we could make such decisions in”
“Roz McCall: Farming families are not just in our rural communities—they are our rural communities, and no more so than in Mid Scotland and Fife, where farms of all sizes contribute hugely to economic stability and sustain communities the length and breadth of the region. A delegation from the National Farmers’ Union, the Tenant Farmers Association and the Country Land and Business Association met the UK Government this week. A member of the delegation described the response of ministers as “deaf to what we were trying to say”, and added: “I think we all came out slightly with boiling blood about it.” How can the Scottish Government get a different outcome to its negotiations? Does the minister believe that the UK Government is deaf to the concerns of our rural communities?”
“We have raised the issue with the United Kingdom Government on a number of occasions, most recently in a letter of 6 February to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and we will continue to engage with it in that regard. Our position remains that the changes to inheritance tax should be paused and an immediate review carried out. The UK Government must also urgently commit to undertake and publish full impact assessments on the impacts that the changes are making in Scotland. The issue demonstrates yet again that it would be far better to have inheritance tax devolved to the Parliament in Scotland.”
“Jim Fairlie: I absolutely dispute Craig Hoy’s point that we are not doing enough, and his point on numbers, as the fact is that dairy cow numbers actually went up last year. With regard to the support that the Scottish Government provides, the Scottish dairy growth board was set up by Scottish ministers in support of the necessary co-ordination and collaboration that would be required to implement the dairy sector growth strategy, “Ambition 2025”. There are a number of other issues that I will not take up time to cover just now, but I am happy to write to Craig Hoy to give him details of what those are. We are actively supporting the dairy sector in Scotland right now.”
“Craig Hoy: The minister is clearly not doing enough because, over the past decade, the Scottish milking herd has decreased by 24 per cent, according to the Scottish Dairy Cattle Association. My region of South Scotland saw the biggest decrease, with Ayrshire and then Dumfriesshire being the worst-affected areas, as a result of increased costs, more complex red tape and now a cruel family-farm tax that has been imposed by the United Kingdom Labour Government. How does the Government intend to further support dairy farmers? Will it look at helping to support new routes to market and increase domestic processing capacity to provide a long- term future for this vitally important sector?”
“The Scottish Government supports the Scottish dairy sector and Scottish agriculture, and will continue to do so. Last year alone, we paid out £414.8 million through the basic payment scheme and the greening and young farmers payments schemes, with a total of just under £34 million in payments that were made specifically to dairy farmers. We have also provided grant funding for the Scottish dairy growth board to promote growth in the sector since its formation in 2014; that includes £85,000 of grant funding in this financial year. In addition, we continue to fund the Scottish Dairy Hub—including with £50,000 this year—which offers free advice and information to Scotland’s dairy farmers.”
“Although we are at the early stages of the fare cap pilot development, we are committed to delivering it on time and ensuring that travelling by bus is as attractive and affordable as possible. The work on the proposals will continue this year and will include continued dialogue with stakeholders, including local transport authorities and bus operators. As part of that process, we will determine suitable criteria for the pilot location.”
“At the moment, more than 2.3 million people—everyone under the age of 22 or over 65, and disabled people and carers— benefit from free bus travel, and the £2 cap could build on that good work. As the scheme is set to be introduced from January 2026, will the minister outline the criteria on how the pilot will be measured? I take this opportunity to encourage the minister to consider introducing the pilot across South Lanarkshire and Glasgow, to benefit my Rutherglen constituents. Jim Fairlie: I congratulate Clare Haughey on that straightforward pitch to the minister. She is absolutely right to highlight how many people are benefiting from free travel, thanks to the Government, and I very much welcome her interest in the £2 flat fare.”
“Our commitment to bus travel includes the investment of almost £465 million to support concessionary bus travel and to help to ensure that bus operators can continue to provide access to affordable transport through the network support grant in the deregulated market right across Scotland. The concessionary travel scheme is instilling the habit of choosing the bus as a principal form of transport among young people, helping to sustain services while supporting our net zero ambitions. In December alone, 140,000 card holders from South Lanarkshire made more than 600,000 journeys under the national concessionary travel scheme. Clare Haughey: I know that members will have welcomed the recent announcement from the Scottish Government that, as part of the budget, a £2 bus fare cap pilot will be introduced in one regional transport area.”
“I remind everyone that, as a result of members working collaboratively through the legislative process, we have a bill before us that is worthy of Christine Grahame’s hard work. I hope that members pass it unanimously. 17:33”
“In recent years, it has made significant improvements to legislation on dog breeding and pet sales as well as, in previous years, funding campaigns to increase public awareness of the risks. The Scottish Government is committed to setting the highest standards for animal welfare. We want to do everything in our power to educate breeders, sellers, owners and prospective owners on how to meet a dog’s needs and how to make the right choices when they are acquiring a dog. We believe that the bill will support the work in that area. We want to encourage the public to take more responsibility when they are considering taking on a dog and to understand how to source dogs responsibly. That is why I support the intentions behind the bill. I look forward to hearing the debate.”
“There are many serious concerns about the low- welfare puppy trade and the increasingly sophisticated ways in which the unscrupulous criminals behind the trade can fraudulently pass themselves off as legitimate breeders. I acknowledge the on-going hard work of the Scottish SPCA and other agencies across the UK, which continue to collaborate to combat the lucrative low-welfare pet trade by sharing information and taking enforcement action against the criminals who are involved. I am sure that many of us are aware of the Scottish SPCA’s hard-hitting Christmas campaign on the issue, and I commend it for putting focus on the matter at such an important time of the year. The Scottish Government has supported that work.”
“Her tenacity and tireless efforts to improve animal welfare will long be remembered by us all. I commend the hard work undertaken by the Parliament’s non-Government bills unit to support Christine with the bill, and by my officials, who have helped to shape the bill into its current format. I also thank the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee for the role that it played in hearing evidence and in producing helpful recommendations at stage 1. We considered those recommendations carefully, and they led to the changes that were made at stage 2 to create a bill that was undoubtedly improved and that will improve the welfare of dogs across Scotland.”
“I am pleased to lead for the Scottish Government in this stage 3 debate as we play our part in passing this important legislation that will do much to protect the welfare of dogs across Scotland. I thank Christine Grahame for her constructive and collaborative approach to introducing the bill to Parliament. A member’s bill does not reach this stage without significant commitment and a great deal of effort. I know how much work Christine has put into the bill throughout its various stages, in both this session and the previous parliamentary session. The contribution that she just made clearly confirms how hard she has worked on the bill. Furthermore, I take this opportunity to commend Christine’s efforts throughout her time in Parliament to make Scotland a much better place for animals to live in.”
“Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am very pleased to lead for the Scottish Government in this stage 3 debate— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Minister, I am terribly sorry but could you resume your seat for a second? Ms Grahame, I do not believe that you moved the motion. Can you do so formally, please? Christine Grahame: I was going to move it in my closing speech, but I am happy to do it now if it makes everybody content. I move, That the Parliament agrees that the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill be passed. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you very much. I call the minister, Jim Fairlie. 17:30”
“I thank Ross Greer for explaining the purpose of his amendments, but I cannot agree that all of them are absolutely necessary. It is the Scottish Government’s intention to develop the details and contents of the proposed code of practice with stakeholders, and that work is already taking place. Having further items specified in the bill would restrict what could be decided in conjunction with stakeholders. It is the view of the Scottish Government and Christine Grahame, which was shared by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee at stage 1, that a new, stand-alone, concise and accessible code of practice relating specifically to the acquisition of dogs is a key aspect of the bill.”
“I emphasise the point that there should be notification when that is reasonably practicable. If the owner of the land cannot be found, the licence application should be made through NatureScot’s licensing division.”
“There is no reason to think that the measure will reduce the identification of wildlife crime. John Mason: I thank the minister for his answer, but I am slightly confused by it, because he said that the requirement is “reasonable and proportionate” but also talked about when it is “reasonably practicable”, so I am not quite sure which one it is. A lot of the people who take part in the work are volunteers and might not know who the landowner is, and, in some cases, landowners and raptor protectors do not get on terribly well. In those cases, will that not make things more difficult for raptor protectors? Jim Fairlie: In many cases, contact details will be known by the licence holders and contact will be made, with the existing relations usually being very good.”
“I very much appreciate the value of the work that is done by the individuals who monitor raptor populations across Scotland. I had the great pleasure of going out to watch ospreys being rung and was struck by the very good relationship between the land managers and the people who were doing the raptor ringing. NatureScot’s intention to introduce a condition to schedule 1 licences, requiring advance notice to landowners of visits to nests of highly protected species, is a reasonable and proportionate requirement. In fact, it is already set out as part of best practice guidance, and it is currently required in the national nature reserves. That requires the provision of advance notification of visits, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, which helps to build co-operation between landowners and raptor monitors.”
“Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 6.”
“Jim Fairlie: I absolutely take on board Willie Rennie’s point, and I get the frustration of the farming community, but there are differences of opinion: there are differences about whether we should be dredging, doing upstream mitigations or putting in walls. All sorts of discussions are going on. That is part of the wider process of making sure that we study the issue and get to an agreed position on how to manage the situation. However, that has to be done on a catchment basis—it cannot be done as a blanket approach across Scotland. The issues that Mr Rennie is talking about along the Eden are specific to that catchment, and that is something that we need to discover. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and local authorities need to be part of the conversation on that, as does the farming community.”
“Willie Rennie: I have been trying to help the victims of flooding in Cupar and in other areas in my constituency along the River Eden. They are frustrated that, despite the publication of the flood resilience strategy, and despite talk about bringing farmers on board and working in partnership with them, the practical effect on the ground is that there is no change. The farmers have a disagreement about what best practice is, and there is very little financial support or real practical guidance to make a difference. When will we see an actual change, rather than more strategies and plans?”
“Improving resilience to flooding is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government. There have been regular discussions with ministerial colleagues about supporting flood management, including through issues relating to agricultural land. The Scottish Government’s national flood resilience strategy, which was published in December last year, makes it clear that, through our agricultural reform programme, we are considering how farmers can be supported to make changes to handle extremes in water availability. The Scottish Government is also developing a flood recovery framework to provide greater clarity and coherence about flood recovery responsibilities, and to support and help communities and businesses to recover from flooding.”
“Then, in December, in order to make that support happen, the minister had to put in place the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024—which were secretly withdrawn only a couple of weeks later, due, I think, to a legal error. What confidence can the industry have in the Government if it cannot even get its own stuff right? Jim Fairlie: The answer to that question is that there was a legal drafting error. It was nothing more than that. There was no change to the policy, and we will continue to update the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee as we bring new regulations forward. Tim Eagle: It’s a disgrace!”
“In June 2024, we updated the agricultural reform route map to set out the changes to agricultural support that will come in in 2025. That includes the start of the whole-farm plan, new protections for peatlands and wetlands, and a calving interval requirement for the Scottish suckler beef support scheme. The route map will be updated again in the early part of this year, to set out the requirements that farmers and crofters will need to meet in 2026. It will set out the support that will be on offer to help them to meet those requirements. Tim Eagle: In July 2024, I received a letter—as did all farmers—that told us that we had to prepare for the future of agricultural support by getting our whole-farm plans in order.”
“That is where they access education, health services and the third sector, and many will work in and around the Ardrossan area. The problem is that the ferry does not go there. What island impact assessment was carried out by public bodies on the move of the ferry service— albeit temporarily, we hope—to Troon? What is being done right now to ensure that islanders enjoy the same access to public services as anyone else following that move? Jim Fairlie: The member is more aware than most people of the reasons why everything has moved to Troon. I confirm that the business case development includes an assessment, which was undertaken by North Ayrshire Council, on what the socioeconomic impact will be. The winter timetable is under way and the ships that we have are currently sailing to Troon. That is the position that we are in.”
“The main Arran services are operating solely to Troon until 28 March. CalMac Ferries will run services from Ardrossan and Troon to Brodick during the summer season, with the published timetables, I hope, reflecting that. Transport Scotland has been engaged in the Ardrossan harbour business case review and with considering the benefits of retaining and enhancing services from Ardrossan. It updates ministers regularly. The review has had input from the Isle of Arran ferry committee and from North Ayrshire Council on local economic impacts. Further updates on the business case review are expected soon. Jamie Greene: I thank the minister for his update. The lives of many residents on Arran are as deeply rooted in Ardrossan as they are on the island.”
“Members, I will say at this juncture that I am not having shouting across the chamber—I am just not having it. We need to make progress with this portfolio questions session.”