RET ruled out by transport minister

Orkney’s MSP has accused the Scottish Government of “washing its hands” of its commitment to Road Equivalent Tariff (RET).

This comes as Liam McArthur has received a letter from transport minister, Fiona Hyslop, which states that the long-promised subsidy does not comply with UK Government rules.

Under post-Brexit legislation, the minister writes, it would amount to “distorting the market” if the Scottish Government introduced RET on ferry routes which are also served by private operators.

Orkney’s MSP has raised the issue repeatedly at First Ministers Questions and with a succession of transport ministers over the years.

In the most recent letter received by Mr McArthur, Mrs Hyslop did not restate the government’s earlier commitment.

Instead, she points to the “new domestic subsidy control regime” introduced by the UK Government after BREXIT, and set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

She added: “It would therefore, in the same way as under EU state aid rules, be seen as distorting the market if Scottish Government introduced RET on ferry routes where there are private operators.

“Any introduction of new RET measures on lifeline ferry services in Scotland would now need to comply with the requirements of the Subsidy Control Act 2022.”

Mr McArthur has now lodged parliamentary questions and FOI requests, seeking details of the engagement Scottish ministers have had with the UK Government about any potential obstacle to introducing RET on Pentland Firth routes.

Commenting on the situation, Orkney’s MSP said that “having made the promise to people in Orkney,” the Scottish Government is “duty bound to find a way of delivering.”

He added: “They have no-one else to blame but themselves and they cannot be allowed just to wash their hands of their responsibilities.”

More in next week’s edition of The Orcadian.