Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Ferry Services: Rosyth to Mainland Europe

Thursday 24 November 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The operation of international ferry routes between Rosyth and mainland Europe is considered a commercial matter by the UK Government.
  • The UK Government has not discussed re-establishing direct ferry services between Rosyth and mainland Europe with Cabinet colleagues or the Scottish Government.
  • The UK Government provides substantial support to Scotland through the Barnett formula, but considers the international ferry route from Rosyth to Europe to be a commercial matter.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Neale Hanvey
Transport Business & Trade
Context

The question pertains to the re-establishment of ferry services from Rosyth, Scotland, to mainland Europe. It follows discussions on the commercial viability and political implications of such routes.

Question

What recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Scottish Government on the re-establishment of direct ferry services between Rosyth and mainland Europe?

Answer from Richard Holden

The operation of international ferry routes is primarily a commercial matter and as a result I have not discussed it with either Cabinet colleagues or the Scottish Government to date.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific recent discussions about re-establishing direct ferry services were not addressed; only a general statement on commercial nature of such routes was provided.

How: The Operation Of International Ferry Routes Is Primarily A Commercial Matter

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Q2 Neale Hanvey
Transport Scotland Brexit
Context

The UK Government has informed Scotland that it is not a colony and does not lack meaningful political process. The EU previously provided funds through the 'motorways of the sea' programme, which has been discontinued.

Question

Will the Minister tell me what funding is to be made available to Scotland for direct ferry links from Rosyth to Europe now that the EU motorways of the sea funding has been cut off? Can the Minister tell his Government colleagues that the British state may say no at every time, but the sovereign people of Scotland say yes, yes, yes?

Answer from Richard Holden

The priority of the UK Government is to work closely with the Scottish Government wherever possible. The UK Government provide substantial support to Scotland through the Barnett formula, including to support local ferry services. However, this international route is a commercial matter. If the hon. Gentleman would like to discuss it with me further, I would be delighted to do so.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific funding for direct ferry links from Rosyth to Europe was not addressed; only general support through the Barnett formula and commercial nature were mentioned.

How: This International Route Is A Commercial Matter

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