Parliament Workbench
Data: Motions & questions to 19 Nov 2026 · Votes to 12 Nov 2026

Motion For Debate · S4M-06658 · Session 4

Ferry Services

Carried Lodged by Richard Baker Lab Lodged 20 May 2013 Debate 22 May 2013 1 supporter

The motion

That the Parliament believes that the Scottish Government needs to take action to address a number of failings in its policy on ferries; calls on it to provide a detailed response to the report that it commissioned on the effect of the removal of road equivalent tariff from commercial vehicles, which found that this has had a detrimental impact on hauliers and island communities; further calls on ministers to outline what financial penalties have been levied on Serco following its failure to run the Stromness to Scrabster service because of a mechanical failure to MV Hamnavoe and what action is being taken to ensure that this service is not disrupted in the future; expresses concern that Caledonian MacBrayne’s proposals could see many port staff receive pay cuts of up to 25%, and believes that the Scottish Government should make clear in a statement that it does not believe that this publicly owned company should proceed with these proposals.

What MSPs voted on: the motion as amended

Labour’s motion was rewritten by an SNP amendment (S4M-06658.2) before this vote. A vote ‘for’ was a vote for the SNP’s wording.

That the Parliament
155 words removed by S4M-06658.2believes that the Scottish Government needs to take action to address a number of failings in its policy on ferries; calls on it to provide a detailed response to the report that it commissioned on the effect of the removal of road equivalent tariff from commercial vehicles, which found that this has had a detrimental impact on hauliers and island communities; further calls on ministers to outline what financial penalties have been levied on Serco following its failure to run the Stromness to Scrabster service because of a mechanical failure to MV Hamnavoe and what action is being taken to ensure that this service is not disrupted in the future; expresses concern that Caledonian MacBrayne’s proposals could see many port staff receive pay cuts of up to 25%, and believes that the Scottish Government should make clear in a statement that it does not believe that this publicly owned company should proceed with these proposals.
S4M-06658.2 SNP welcomes the implementation of road equivalent tariff (RET) to Islay, Colonsay and Gigha in October 2012 and the decisions to roll out RET to Arran in October 2014 and to all the Clyde and Hebrides routes in the current parliamentary session; further welcomes the planned investment of £333.1 million between 2012-13 and 2014-15 in Scotland's ferry services, including an additional £2.5 million in 2012-13, and £2 million in 2013-14, to support hauliers to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree, where fare increases have also been capped and small commercial vehicles benefit from the same fares as ordinary motorists, all against a backdrop of falling budgets from the UK Government; also welcomes the firm commitment to providing a high-quality ferry service across the Pentland Firth as part of the overall Northern Isles ferry service and the effective contingency arrangements that are in place following the mechanical failure that has affected the MV Hamnavoe; further welcomes the commitment of all parties to learn lessons from this incident to provide good, clear and effective communication with ferry users, and notes that, while the ongoing dispute with some of Caledonian MacBrayne's port staff is a matter between the employer and the unions, it supports both parties in seeking an early resolution to avoid any impact on ferry services on Clyde and Hebrides routes.

Final wording as read into the Official Report at Decision Time. The marked changes are worked out by this site from the amendment texts and match that wording.

Amendments

  1. S4M-06658.1 Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur Fell per the Official Report
  2. S4M-06658.2 SNP Keith Brown Agreed vote, 65–48

Signatures by party

1 MSP besides the lodger · 0 from other parties
Lab 1

Party on the day each MSP signed. Signing a motion is voluntary and not whipped. Who signs whose motions

Vote

1 division
  1. 22 May 2013
    Ferry Services
    S4M-06658as amended by SNP
    Carried
    65 for, 48 against, 1 abstained

Amendments

2
  1. S4M-06658.1
    Ferry Services
    Liam McArthur LD Lodged 21 May 2013
    No recorded vote
  2. S4M-06658.2
    Ferry Services
    Keith Brown SNP Lodged 21 May 2013
    Carried
    65 for, 48 against

Supporters

1 MSP

Lab 1

Show all 1 supporter by party

Lab 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

In the Official Report

3 contributions mention S4M-06658
  1. 22 May 2013
    Ferry Services
    Elaine Smith Lab Meeting of the Parliament

    The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-06658, in the name of Richard Baker, on ferry services. I inform members that timing is extremely tight, so any interventions must be taken in members’ own time. If members could take sli…

  2. 22 May 2013
    Decision Time
    Tricia Marwick Meeting of the Parliament

    The next question is, that amendment S4M-06658.2, in the name of Keith Brown, which seeks to amend motion S4M-06658, in the name of Richard Baker, on ferry services, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.

  3. 22 May 2013
    Decision Time
    Tricia Marwick Meeting of the Parliament

    Therefore, the real amendment in the name of Liam McArthur falls.The next question is, that motion S4M-06658, in the name of Richard Baker, on ferry services, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed?Members: No.