This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Kintyre ferry launch in summer 2003
11/10/2002
The Executive's detailed plans to re-instate the ferry
service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle were issued
today.
Ministers are seeking views about a draft service
specification, from local interests in Argyll and Moyle,
Northern Ireland.
The service specification contains details of the
Executive's plans to offer a subsidy to re-instate the
ferry service, and is the key element of the tender
documentation.
The draft service specification is subject to the
following conditions as previously agreed with
Ministers:-
- that the initial contract term for the service will
be 5 years
- that the service will operate for at least
11 months of the year
- that the maximum annual amount of subsidy to be
made available for the support of this service will be
£1.0 million
Deputy Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"I am pleased that we have reached this key stage in the
tendering process as this is an important milestone. It
provides an opportunity for the local communities in
Kintyre and Moyle to have a say in how the service is
operated, and their comments will be taken into account in
the completion of the final documents.
"The Scottish Executive, and our colleagues in Northern
Ireland remain committed to re-instating the service
between Campbeltown and Ballycastle and today's
announcement is a significant step.
"We now look forward to a good response from those who
are being consulted. After the consultation is completed,
we will proceed to issuing the final service specification,
and an invitation to tender to potential operators."
A joint Scotland Office and Scottish and Northern
Ireland Executive announcement was made on January 30,
2002, that a tendering exercise should go ahead. The
Northern Ireland Executive has allowed responsibility of
running the tendering exercise to fall to the Scottish
Executive.
The Scottish Executive announced the start of the new
competition on May 22, 2002. The necessary powers to
provide the subsidy have also been transferred from
Westminster following the approval of the Scottish and
Westminster Parliaments.
Scottish Ministers made a commitment to undertake a
public local consultation on the draft service
specification for the Campbeltown - Ballycastle route as
has been carried out for previous ferry tendering
exercises.
Comments on the draft Service Specification are invited
over the next four weeks.
The final agreed document will form the basis of the
invitation to tender for the next stage in the process.
Provided an acceptable compliant tender is received, it is
hoped that it will be possible to re-instate the service by
next summer.