Nationalise NorthLink

That the Parliament notes that the remaining bidders for the Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) contract are the public sector ferry company, David MacBrayne, and the private sector incumbent, Serco; believes that the next NIFS contract could be worth up to £619 million in public subsidy and fares revenue; is concerned that Transport Scotland will award the 2019-27 NIFS contract in August when the Parliament will be in recess; notes that the amount of profit that Serco may have extracted from the operation of the current NIFS contract since 2012 has never been published by the company or Transport Scotland; further notes that the entire NorthLink fleet of three passenger and two freight vessels is publicly owned; believes that the introduction of road equivalent tariff on NIFS routes will further increase the level of taxpayer support in the next contract for lifeline ferry services; regrets the Ferry Law Review’s decision not to bring the NIFS and all publicly subsidised ferry contracts into permanent public ownership and operation; supports the RMT Union’s Nationalise NorthLink campaign, and calls on the Scottish Government to secure the stability of lifeline ferry services on the Northern Isles network by awarding the next NIFS contract to David MacBrayne when the Parliament returns from recess in September 2019.