Drill Ships at Hunterston and Public Ownership of Ports

That the Parliament notes the ongoing concerns that it understands are being raised by the local community over two drill ships berthed at Hunterston Jetty, near Fairlie, with their generators operating 24 hours per day; further understands that trade unions are concerned over seafarer employment standards and safety, and that the jetty is also adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest; believes that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency was required to respond when one of the Marshall Islands-flagged vessels broke free from its moorings; notes that Hunterston PARC is owned by Peel Ports, which reportedly owns substantial strategic assets in Scotland and the rest of the UK, made significant profits and paid out dividends prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; considers that, as a port authority at many sites, Peel has significant maritime and port safety responsibilities, and notes the view that port authorities should be under public ownership and control and that there should be strategic public ownership and control of the commercial ports network so that decisions to develop the economy, including the delivery of a just transition to a net zero carbon economy, are made transparently and in the public interest.