Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, April 22, 2010

Official Report 1132KB pdf

---

Volcanic Ash Cloud

The next item of business is a statement by John Swinney on the volcanic ash cloud. The cabinet secretary will of course take questions at the end of his statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions during it.

16:15

Last week, I set out in a statement to Parliament the implications of the ash plume from a volcanic eruption in Iceland entering United Kingdom and European airspace on the night of Wednesday 14 April. Because of the ash plume, much of UK airspace was closed for significant periods from then until Tuesday night.

The closure resulted in significant disruption for members of the public in Scotland and further afield. The Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to reopen all UK airports, which was taken at 9.41 pm on Tuesday 20 April, is very welcome. The decision was based on lengthy discussions between regulators, airlines, National Air Traffic Services and the UK Government, which included consideration of the newly defined European Union low-concentration zone. On 20 April, the CAA issued revised guidance that allowed the opening of UK airspace, subject to additional safety restrictions. The CAA will continue to monitor the situation with tests in the air and on the ground.

Most airports are now open and operational, but considerable disruption remains. Currently, no flights can take place into or out of Stornoway. We expect all Scottish airports to be open tomorrow, subject to weather conditions and any further issues that arise from the assessment of the ash situation.

The position will continue to improve in the coming days. More than 1,300 flights have taken place into and out of Scottish airports since restrictions were lifted on Tuesday. Throughout the period of disruption, Scottish airports have been primed and ready to allow airlines to maximise any windows of opportunity as the airspace over Scotland has become available.

In the days ahead, some disruption of air services is still likely as a result of the continuing volcanic activity in Iceland and the consequent concentration of volcanic ash. That is unpredictable and unavoidable and could result in the cancellation of some services at short notice.

Information from the Met Office this morning suggests that the wind flow over the volcano in Iceland will weaken significantly tonight and early tomorrow morning. That means that any new ash material from the volcano should be less likely to reach the airspace above Scotland. Forecasters also give a high degree of probability for a southerly wind flow from later on Saturday and well into next week, which will further reduce the likelihood of large quantities of ash in Scottish airspace. On Met Office test flights this morning, several layers were observed under the aircraft, but discriminating between cloud and ash is not easy. Such test flights will continue to provide information to help to inform the decision-making process.

From the outset, we have worked closely with the UK Government to monitor the situation and to mitigate the impact. At ministerial and official levels, we have been in daily contact with counterparts in Whitehall, and that close liaison continues.

As Parliament knows, the UK scientific advisory group committee was established earlier this week. The chief scientific adviser for Scotland, Professor Anne Glover, has spoken to Professor John Beddington, and the committee now includes two experts on volcanic eruptions who are based in Scotland—Dr Sue Loughlin and Professor David Kerridge, who are from the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh.

Our response to the presence of volcanic ash in our airspace from the Icelandic eruption has been based entirely on available evidence, with the primary objective of addressing safety issues.

Officials have worked with embassy colleagues and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure the safe repatriation of vulnerable individuals when possible. When we have been made aware of individuals who have required medical support overseas, we have worked with our international networks to provide assistance.

Our purpose throughout the incident has been to ensure the safety of passengers and their safe repatriation as quickly and effectively as possible. The Cabinet sub-committee started to meet on day one of the event—15 April—and has met daily throughout. That ministerial-level focus has allowed us to prioritise efforts and to ensure that the actions that we have taken have reflected the latest Met Office and air traffic information. Our focus is now on the recovery phase and on ensuring the successful repatriation of travellers, while monitoring any medium to longer-term consequences.

On Tuesday this week, we opened the homecoming helpline to complement the Foreign and Commonwealth Office helpline. It has taken more than 2,000 calls. About one third of calls have been handled by advisers; other callers have taken advantage of the automated voice message service, which gives advice on health, travel, visa, insurance and money issues. Of the calls that helpline staff have handled, 75 per cent have come from travellers who were abroad. The helpline can be contacted from the UK on 0800 027 0504 and from overseas on country code 44, followed by 141 272 1333.

 

 

Transport colleagues have worked tirelessly with all the major transport companies, and capacity on the transport network across the United Kingdom is being monitored and maximised. Train companies have been putting on extra services to and from cities near Scottish and UK airports and ferry ports to help passengers who have been stranded by the Icelandic volcanic eruption. Ferry operators have made significant efforts to maximise the number of passengers that they can accommodate.

First ScotRail has provided an additional 2,850 seats on existing services between Glasgow and Stranraer all week, and it will continue to do so, according to demand. Cross-border rail services have increased the number of seats by 3,000 northbound and 3,500 southbound per day. The additional services will continue throughout the weekend. Virgin west coast is now providing a total of 6,700 seats northbound and 7,100 seats southbound per day. East Coast is providing a total of 11,200 seats northbound and 11,700 seats southbound per day. Both east coast and west coast lines are busy, but both are coping with the additional demand. There is still some capacity on East Coast services. Demand for train journeys to and from stations near passenger ferry ports has risen sharply, as Britons travel by sea to get back home, with many stations seeing at least triple the normal number of passengers. Some of them are experiencing 10 times the usual demand.

Eurostar and Eurotunnel have increased capacity. Eurostar has put on its maximum Friday timetable every day, plus eight additional services. On a busy day the service carries 35,000 passengers; it is now carrying 45,000 people each day. Eurostar has also reduced its standard fare. Eurotunnel has doubled its capacity by operating shuttles every 15 minutes and carrying 85 per cent more coaches than normal.

Transport officials have been in close contact with bus companies since last week. National Express, Megabus and other operators have reacted very well to the emerging situation, and they have been adding additional cross-border services on a daily basis, as demand has required. National Express has carried more than 6,000 passengers over the past week. Megabus laid on an additional 49 vehicles and has so far carried 2,100 more passengers than usual.

On Tuesday, the Scottish Government agreed with NorthLink Ferries to dispatch the MV Hamnavoe to Norway to collect stranded British nationals. The ferry returned to Aberdeen today at noon with 157 passengers, including 17 children and four infants. Feedback from the passengers has been very positive on both the action taken by the Government and the service provided by the ferry operator. Given the 18-hour sail time, the decision to send the ship had to be made on Tuesday. She will be back in service on the Pentland Firth tomorrow, and will provide a full sailing from Aberdeen to Stromness in Orkney tonight. Freight calls will continue to be made to the Orkney Islands. Pentland Ferries has continued to provide a regular ferry service between Orkney and Caithness. With the situation now improving and the MV Hjaltland due out of dry dock tonight, NorthLink expects to have services back to normal at the weekend on the Aberdeen-Kirkwall-Shetland route.

I take this opportunity to thank publicly the people of Orkney and Orkney Islands Council for helping us to provide that service to repatriate people who were stranded in Norway. I thank the NorthLink crew and shore staff for the assistance that they gave in supervising embarkation and liaising directly with the authorities in Bergen. I record our thanks to the British embassy in Oslo, to the honorary consul in Bergen and to the UK Border Agency staff in Aberdeen for their co-operation.

The Scottish Ambulance Service, supported by the Ministry of Defence and the coastguard, continues to be able to undertake emergency missions when the patient’s condition is life threatening. The service has utilised every opportunity to move non-emergency patients when it is safe and appropriate to do so, and it will continue to manage demand in that way until operations return to normal.

Aberdeen airport has agreed with Aberdeen City Council that rotary flights will continue to operate on a needs-must basis, with the airport operator advising the local authority of any flights outwith the current planning limits.

Following the considerable disruption that has been experienced over the past six days, and the challenges that it has presented for the airline industry and travellers around the world, early indications are that the medium to longer-term consequences will be minimal, due to the reopening of airspace early this week. Officials continue to work with colleagues and organisations across Scotland and beyond to monitor the situation and, where possible, to mitigate any consequences.

The most obvious and immediate consequence is the implication for transport. I reiterate that we are doing all that we can to repatriate passengers who are still stranded. We will continue to monitor the situation and to work with the travel industry to ensure that the increased capacity on rail and bus services between Scotland and England is maintained and maximised.

We are also keen to reduce the financial impact on travellers who have been stranded and we urge airlines and insurance companies to be sympathetic towards travellers who are out of pocket following additional expenditure. I sent a letter to the Association of British Insurers yesterday, to which I received a response today suggesting that that will be the case.

Recent events have had a significant impact on Scottish tourism. VisitScotland has launched a short-term plan to help businesses that have lost business or future bookings because of the current situation. The plan includes free advertising opportunities, radio and press campaigns and increased public relations activity. VisitScotland has also helped travellers stranded in Scotland by contacting tourism businesses throughout the country asking them to send in offers or other information to keep such passengers occupied and well looked after at a reduced price, and by helping visitors at airport visitor information centres.

In relation to the longer term, VisitScotland reports cancellations for the next month or so because of uncertainty about the situation. A survey of a sample of business tourism providers in Scotland has indicated that a total of 60 events have been cancelled or postponed, with a direct value of more than £700,000 to the providers. However, taking into account the additional spend of delegates while they are here, the total value lost will be well in excess of £2 million. In addition, several leisure tourism and accommodation providers have already reported cancellations and lost revenue from visitors who can no longer reach Scotland. In the short term, some of that may be offset by visitors not being able to travel home, but at this stage it is not possible to estimate the overall impact of the cancellations.

One of the key drivers throughout our handling of the incident has been the need to minimise the impact on front-line services, such as the national health service, particularly in the more remote and rural areas. As members will be well aware, the island health boards are heavily reliant on air and ferry networks for the delivery of essential supplies and the transfer of patients to and from the mainland. The island boards quickly activated their tried and tested contingency plans and, as a result, the impact on health services in island communities has been minimal.

The number of NHS employees who are stranded off the islands has been small and has not had an impact on service delivery. Over the past week, steps have been taken to ensure that supplies of blood and essential chemotherapy drugs have been shipped to the islands, and mainland-based clinicians have altered their travel arrangements to ensure that there has been little disruption to specialist clinics.

There has been no impact on medical supplies more generally. Contingency plans to ensure the essential supplies of blood and medicines have also been activated.

All schools are open. The number of known stranded teachers peaked yesterday at around 3,500, which represents 6.7 per cent of the total teacher complement. That number will start to fall as the travel situation improves. So far, we know of 200 more teachers who returned to work this morning.

The current exam diet starts on 28 April and it is anticipated that the vast majority of teachers and students will have returned by then. The Scottish Qualifications Authority and other examining boards have procedures in place to deal with candidates who are unable to sit exams due to absence.

The school-trip groups that are stranded abroad are all accounted for and repatriation arrangements are being progressed.

If the volcanic cloud clears within the next few days the short-term impact on the UK economy will be negligible. The aviation industry will bear the brunt of the cost, with estimates putting airline losses in Europe at around £130 million per day. Loganair, the airline that provides the bulk of Scotland’s internal air services, has a strong balance sheet but has lost some £1 million in revenue since the start of disruption. The airline is counting on a quick return to normality and is geared up for that.

Total Scottish air freight by volume is equivalent to 0.1 per cent of Scottish sea freight. Information from business representatives suggests that disruption is variable across sectors. We will continue to monitor the impact on employment and the economy. However, any adverse affect on tourism due to the cancellation of incoming flights will be offset to some extent by spending by tourists who are stranded in the UK and by UK residents who cancel or postpone their trips abroad.

We hope that the events of the past week will not be repeated. However, there is limited ability to predict accurately the impact of natural disasters. It is possible that, if the volcano continues to erupt and the wind direction changes from south-westerly, the high-concentration ash cloud may return to the airspace above Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Therefore, we will continue to work closely with colleagues across the Scottish Government and counterparts in the United Kingdom Government to monitor the situation and undertake contingency planning for any future challenges.

The cabinet secretary will now take questions on issues raised in his statement. We have until exactly 5 o’clock.

First, I thank the cabinet secretary for an advance copy of his statement. I welcome the statement, which gave us an update on the current position and some projections on the way forward, albeit that it recognises that challenges remain.

Labour members also record our thanks to the many public servants who have been involved and to the many private companies that have stretched every sinew to ensure that we have responded to the current crisis. As I was last week, I remain pleased that the precautionary principle is applied on all occasions and that decisions are taken following advice, with safety as the priority.

The cabinet secretary advised us in his statement of the impact on teachers in our education system. Can he advise us of the impact on the civil service, in relation to civil servants—particularly senior civil servants—who may be stranded? How have those matters been dealt with in the civil service? I seek his reassurance that, in employment terms, civil servants will be treated the same as any other employee as and when they return to work.

Secondly, albeit that it is early days, what plans has the cabinet secretary made for reviewing the process of working with the UK Government and the many different agencies across the public and private sectors? What process exists to review the whole situation so that we can learn to deliver crisis management more effectively?

Finally, I appreciate the cabinet secretary’s points about the economic impact. The figures for tourism appear to be particularly severe. While I appreciate what he said in his statement, what plans does he have to re-engage with VisitScotland to see what other measures can be implemented both to ensure that Scots who may choose not to travel abroad take advantage of the opportunities to holiday in Scotland and to attract others to our shores?

There will undoubtedly be civil servants who have been unable to return to the country or whose return has been delayed. Obviously, we are able keep in contact with senior civil servants on relevant issues if they are absent.

On learning lessons, the Government undertakes a review of the process after each incident that we deal with in an emergency or resilience capacity. Last Wednesday, I think, we discussed the salt and winter maintenance issues, just before we reconvened to deal with this issue. We will undoubtedly come back to review the process so that we can understand some of the key lessons that will arise as a consequence.

On Mr Kerr’s final point about the tourism sector, I have highlighted our concern. An opportunity undoubtedly exists because, just as many people may be anxious about planning a trip to come here, there will be people who may have planned trips elsewhere and have holiday time booked but who may well decide to stay at home. We can certainly provide ample opportunities for people to spend quality leisure time in Scotland. There may be compensating factors and, as I highlighted in the statement, VisitScotland is already engaged with the tourism sector to look for ways in which we can intervene to mitigate any difficulties. The Government will continue that open dialogue with VisitScotland. Of course, we will be delighted to take forward any suggestions that may be made by the Opposition into the bargain.

I thank the cabinet secretary for the advance copy of his statement.

The cabinet secretary is all too aware of the cost and confusion to industry and the travelling public that have been caused by the volcanic eruption, for example the cost to Prestwick airport, which is in my constituency, and other Scottish airports. He will also be aware that those costs and inconveniences might not have been incurred to such an extent if the Met Office had been better able to monitor the air quality in which our commercial aircraft fly—in other words, the quality of the air between 5ft and 50,000ft. As I understand it, the Met Office, particularly in relation to Scottish airspace, relied almost entirely on computer modelling to predict whether it was safe to fly, but was unable physically to measure or monitor the amount or nature of dust and gas in the atmosphere.

Can the cabinet secretary tell us what process was used to measure the amount and type of dust in our Scottish airspace, whether the dust was checked for radioactivity and whether the gas was checked to establish whether it was poisonous? If no such checking or measurement was carried out, or if the capability does not exist to carry out such physical tests, what measures will be put in place immediately, in the medium term and in the long term to plug what appears to be—to me, at any rate—a gap in our strategic military defences and in our ability to meet the absolute need to ensure that civilian aircraft can fly safely and in a known environment?

Furthermore, can the cabinet secretary tell us what is meant by the newly defined EU low-concentration zone, and what the difference is between the new definition and the previous definition of that zone?

Before we embark on any comprehensive review of the incident in question, it is apparent that we need to have a more sophisticated understanding of the potential implications of ash clouds in the atmosphere. The computer modelling demonstrates the potential presence of such ash. Other methods that have been deployed through a combination of initiatives include flights to test what was present in the airspace and the use of light detection and ranging technology, which can detect what is in the atmosphere from land. That process identified empirical evidence that required to be factored into the modelling. As far as lessons to be learned are concerned, it is apparent that computer modelling is not sufficient. The results of such modelling need to be assessed and reflected on in the light of empirical data. The fact that we have had such data latterly has allowed the CAA to move to a different position on low-concentration zones.

With regard to how the new EU position on what a low-concentration zone is can be distinguished from the previous position, agreement was reached across the EU with the Commission, the regulators and, crucially, aircraft manufacturers that a more sophisticated view could be taken of the level of ash in the atmosphere that would enable safe flying to be undertaken. As a consequence of that agreement, the CAA was able to open airspace on Tuesday evening.

My final point to Mr Scott is that throughout the incident, we have received extensive quantities of data from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which has sampled air quality in many locations—75, I think—around Scotland. That information has enabled us to provide reassurance that there has been nothing to cause concern to members of the public about air quality.

I, too, thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement, and I echo the thanks that have been expressed to all those who have helped to mitigate the impacts of the ash cloud over recent days.

The extent of the disruption that has been caused by the volcanic eruption is not in doubt. Although I accept that all parts of the country have been affected, I contend that Orkney has suffered particularly acutely. As other island communities do, we rely on our lifeline air and ferry services to an extent that is not always recognised by people on the mainland.

Given that Orkney air services were badly affected and did not become operational again until earlier this afternoon, does the cabinet secretary accept that it was legitimate for my constituents to expect ministers to take steps to bolster lifeline ferry options and certainly not to cut them? If he does not, would he at least concede that the decision to, in effect, remove state-funded lifeline ferry services to Orkney over a 48-hour period sets a dangerous precedent? Can he further explain what legal protection exists for lifeline services such as those that are provided by NorthLink Ferries, or what their legal status is? Is it the case, as it appears to be, that such services are open to ministerial decree?

With regard to the specific decision to send the Hamnavoe to pick up 157 passengers from Bergen, the cabinet secretary confirmed that UK airspace reopened at 9.41 pm on Tuesday evening, which I presume was around the time that the Hamnavoe set off for Orkney. Flights from Norway to Scottish airports were operating on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday evening, what consideration—if any—did ministers give to reversing the earlier decision to commandeer the Hamavoe?

From his conversations over recent days with me and the leader of Orkney Islands Council, the cabinet secretary is aware of the deep anger that is felt by my constituents at decisions that were taken by Scottish ministers. He has generously offered his thanks to the people of Orkney. Will he go further by offering them an apology?

I am certainly prepared to reiterate my thanks to the people of Orkney for, I hope, their understanding of the decisions that have been taken. Let me take some care to address the issues that Liam McArthur has raised as the member for the constituency.

I took a decision on Tuesday afternoon to ask NorthLink to send the Hamnavoe to Bergen because, after discussion with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we became aware of a substantial number of British citizens in Norway for whom there was no immediate plan to repatriate them. As Mr McArthur will know, ferries cannot sail at the drop of a hat, and the Hamnavoe was dispatched at 9 o’clock on Tuesday evening from Stromness to Bergen for an expected 18-hour crossing. The boat has returned to Aberdeen today, and one of the people who came off the ferry was quoted on the lunch-time news. Let me share with Parliament what the gentleman said:

“They’ve actually done something positive, proactive, and they’ve not exploited us. It was an excellent service.”

I understand that there has been some inconvenience to members of the public in Orkney, but a ferry service has operated between Orkney and the mainland throughout the incident. I concede that it has been operated not by NorthLink but by Pentland Ferries, but throughout the two days there has always been capacity on the Pentland Ferries service for passengers and vehicles. There has been no occasion on which capacity has not been delivered.

We have put extra freight vessels into Orkney, and I have asked NorthLink to send the Hamnavoe as a commercial sailing from Aberdeen to Stromness—an unprecedented sailing—to ensure that people can get access to Orkney from Aberdeen this evening. The Hamnavoe will leave Aberdeen for Orkney at 5 o’clock.

The other point that I should make about ferry services to Orkney is that the Kirkwall NorthLink connection was removed to enable us to operate a daily service to Shetland. We had concerns that there were capacity issues in getting people off the Shetland Islands. We had a request from one oil and gas company for 200 personnel to be sent to Aberdeen, and we did not think that we had the capacity to deal with that unless we put the Shetland ferry on to a daily service.

With the return of the Hjaltland from annual maintenance, the Kirkwall connection will be restored on Saturday. In total, Orkney will have lost two days of sailing on the Stromness-Scrabster route and two sailings from Kirkwall to Aberdeen, but it will have had an additional sailing from Aberdeen to Orkney, additional freight sailings, and a continuous service, which has had capacity, between St Margaret’s Hope and Gills Bay.

On Mr McArthur’s point about lifeline services, I hope that he will be generous enough to accept that the Government has acted in exceptional circumstances to repatriate British citizens from Norway to this country. We took that action after consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the demand for a service, and it has absolutely no implications and sets absolutely no precedents for the operation of lifeline services to the Orkney or Shetland Islands.

We come to open questions, and we have until exactly 5 o’clock to complete them. A large number of members wish to ask questions, so each member should be brief and ask only one question.

I associate myself with the cabinet secretary’s full thanks to the travelling public from Orkney, and recognise that the availability of the Pentland Ferries service ensured that there was direct contact between Orkney and the mainland while the Hamnavoe was on a mercy mission.

The convention of the Highlands and Islands had to be postponed—it was one of the victims of the incident—so I wonder whether it will be going back to Orkney. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that it will, as compensation for the hoteliers and others on the islands?

I confirm that I discussed the arrangements for the convention of the Highlands and Islands with the convener of Orkney Islands Council on Sunday. Regrettably, we came to the conclusion that it would be logistically impossible for us to have a satisfactory attendance at that important event in the dialogue between government at national and local levels in the Highlands and Islands, so we postponed it. The convention of the Highlands and Islands will take place later this year in Orkney, as I agreed with the convener of the council. In my discussions with him, I have also agreed to visit Orkney soon to discuss wider ferry questions with a broad range of stakeholders and Orkney Islands Council. I was delighted to agree that with Councillor Hagan when we spoke yesterday.

Given the surge in demand for train services from stations near airports and ferry ports to which the cabinet secretary has referred, does he believe that there is merit in considering more strategic development of such services not just in case of emergency, but to help to meet climate change objectives?

There is always the opportunity to undertake that assessment, but there is also the requirement to find the resources to pay for such links. Some of the investments that the Government is making in the wider transport infrastructure and in improving journey times to Aberdeen and Inverness will ensure sustainable travel opportunities, and will give individuals connections to some of the ferry ports to the north into the bargain.

What contact has the cabinet secretary had with the offshore industry about the difficulties that workers in that sector currently face in leaving rigs? Why does the Norwegian sector seem to be getting people home by ship more successfully than the UK sector? In particular, people who are now over their specified 21 days offshore are anxious to know whether there are contingency plans to ensure that they are replaced soon.

The offshore industry is being serviced by helicopters today. There were some issues earlier today, but those were routine weather challenges and that work is now under way. As I said in my statement, Aberdeen City Council and the industry have had a helpful discussion about how to maximise capability to ensure that the North Sea oil and gas sector is properly serviced by the normal modes of transport when individuals need to be repatriated.

Does the cabinet secretary recall the case of the constituent of mine that I raised with him and with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office yesterday afternoon concerning a teacher from Edinburgh who is stuck in Bangkok and has been told that she cannot get home for 10 days? What help can he and his department offer my constituent beyond that which is being provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Transport?

In the case of the teacher who is stranded in Bangkok, the helpline that we have made available would be delighted to provide assistance and advice. The first port of call in a foreign jurisdiction is the British embassy or the British consulate—that is what the arrangements require. Contact should also be made with the travel operator with which the individual booked, which has an obligation to support and assist individuals in such situations. We stand ready to assist any individuals in any way that we can, which is why we have taken the range of actions that we have taken over the past few days.

What knowledge does the cabinet secretary have of the particular problems that are faced by people who are awaiting charter flights from the mainland United States? This week, I have been contacted by several individuals, particularly from the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency, who have been quoted dates that are well into the month of May. What effort can he guarantee to ensure that those people will be safely back in this country by 6 May?

We will maintain a dialogue with the UK Government—I will have another discussion with the UK Government at 5 o’clock—on the arrangements for the repatriation of individuals. The timescale has been significantly assisted by the relaxation of the regulatory requirements around flights.

At the start of the week, individuals were facing very prolonged delays, but those are now likely to be severely curtailed with the opening of UK airspace. If Mr Johnstone knows of any particular cases, we will be delighted to provide any assistance that we can to bring those individuals home.

Given that, as the cabinet secretary pointed out, flights to and from the North Sea continue to be disrupted, I am sure that he will join me in welcoming the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s relaxation of restrictions that, for example, prevent stand-by and diving support vessels that might have capacity being used to transport crew to and from installations. However, the decision was not taken for a couple of days and, indeed, happened only after oil companies had chartered and then cancelled suitable certified ships to carry passengers. Does the cabinet secretary believe that contingency plans should be put in place to ensure that such restrictions can be lifted swiftly and temporarily if helicopters are unable to fly?

One of my reflections on many of the incidents that ministers have to deal with is that there are often regulatory obstacles to putting in place pragmatic solutions. It takes time to secure such agreements. Indeed, such difficulties are illustrated by the timescale associated with this incident; it became significant last Thursday and airspace reopened only on Tuesday evening. However, part of me thinks that securing that agreement was quite an achievement, given the complexity and sensitivity of the issues involved. Maureen Watt has raised a significant point and if we are going to experience, as well we might, disruption as a result of ash over a sustained period of time, some of the immediate decisions that were taken to help the situation might need to be repeated at different points in the future to achieve an appropriate outcome.

Aberdeen airport has said that it will waive any additional car parking costs that travellers delayed by ash have incurred, but the websites for Edinburgh and Glasgow airports make no mention of that. Indeed, when my researcher contacted Edinburgh airport this morning, he was told, “Although extra fees will be waived if requested, I don’t think we’re publicising that.” Does the cabinet secretary agree that Scottish travellers should expect to be treated in the same way at all BAA airports and that BAA should not be trying to exploit the current situation in any way?

A number of operators are probably involved in the provision of car parking services at individual airports. Of course, this is a commercial matter for those companies, but Alison McInnes makes a pretty fair point about inadvertent delays and the additional costs that individuals will have incurred through no fault of their own.

On the same point, many of my constituents who left the country by air are trying to get back by other means and are worried about having to pay excess car parking charges on their return. Given what he has said, will the cabinet secretary at least be prepared to use his influence and write to Scottish airports and operators of other car parks related to airports to ensure that fairness is shown to those who have already incurred significant costs in trying to return to Scotland?

I am happy to make those representations to the relevant airports.

A number of constituents who are stranded overseas with children who are due to start their exams next week have been in touch with me to say that their return flights are scheduled to leave just before the start of the exams or after they have taken place. The cabinet secretary said that the SQA has put in place contingency arrangements to deal with the issue, but will he give us a bit more detail about the provisions that will be put in place for children who might not have had enough time to revise for their exams, or who might miss them because of delays?

As I said in my statement, the SQA has put in place contingency plans. If candidates are for any legitimate reason unable to sit their examinations—what is defined as absentee consideration—or do not perform as expected due to external factors, an appeals mechanism can be invoked. Both procedures involve consideration of alternative evidence supplied by the examinations centre, or by the school or college that has been affected. The SQA will ensure that that is applied and has publicised reassurances on those points on its website. On Tuesday, my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning wrote to the headteachers of all Scottish schools to set out guidance to ensure that all schools are aware of the conditions.

 

 

 

As many other members have, I have constituents who are stranded abroad. What assistance will the minister give to those who find themselves in financial difficulty in such circumstances? In his statement, he mentioned that he had received a reply from the insurance companies. Will he undertake to publish that or make it available to the Scottish Parliament information centre so that we might pass it on to our constituents?

Finally, I have a constituent who flew out from Glasgow with Viking Airlines, having booked through the UK booking agent Kiss Flights. My constituent has not been able to claim back any costs at all. What is the minister’s advice about how to go about that and take advantage of the EU legislation?

On Mr Macintosh’s final point, today we have seen the observance of EU directives by some travel operators, so Mr Macintosh’s constituent will be able to pursue that issue legitimately with the tour operator.

For the benefit of members, I am happy to make available to the Scottish Parliament information centre the reply that I have received from the Association of British Insurers. Tour operators are primarily responsible for the arrangements for supporting individuals to get home, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can provide assistance in different marketplaces. However, if we find ourselves in situations similar to the Norwegian one, we are able to assist with that.

If I could, Presiding Officer, I will refer to the questions that were asked by Pauline McNeill and Alison McInnes. I am advised that the BAA has said that travellers will not be charged for overstaying in airport car parks. I do not think that that has anything to do with my influence, but it is a welcome piece of news. We will ensure that it is applied by BAA.

The cabinet secretary referred to the co-operation between his office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Is he satisfied that a similar level of co-operation is in place at European Union level for the information monitoring and management system to cover the potential eruption of the second volcano? We have learned from the situation that we did not know enough beforehand. What about the second volcano?

I assure Margo MacDonald that there is a much more sophisticated recognition of the fact that, although a computer model might give us some information, when it is questioned or qualified by empirical evidence there has to be a mechanism to ensure that that evidence is properly acted upon. That is essentially the position that we agreed at Europe level on Tuesday evening. If, for example, the neighbouring volcano was to erupt into the bargain, the same architecture of agreement would be in place to ensure that conclusions can be drawn from the process.

First, I thank the First Minister for having responded so swiftly to a letter that I wrote to him about a constituent in Syria.

Will the cabinet secretary write to ask Thomson and other airline operators whether they will ensure that appropriate training is given to ensure that all their representatives across the EU follow EU guidelines and regulations? Constituents are facing enormous costs because of the failure of Thomson and others to follow those guidelines because of their representatives.

 

 

I am glad to hear that the First Minister is attending to his correspondence. That is always reassuring.

On Helen Eadie’s second point, the position is clear. There is an obligation on companies, under EU directives. If there is evidence that companies are not complying with that, the Government will be happy to reinforce compliance. However, the position that exists under EU directives could not be clearer. As I said to Kenneth Macintosh earlier, we have seen some welcome developments in that respect, with companies making it clear that they will observe the detail of the EU directives.

I apologise to the two members whom I was unable to call.