Halved entitlement: Wishart calls for SNP Government to explain unfairness
Beatrice Wishart has today (Thursday 11th December 2025) questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Transport on the withdrawal of shared cabins on the NorthLink service and the impact on concessionary voucher entitlement. Pointing to the sustained demand for the option to share cabins, and the detrimental implication on concessionary travel vouchers which has been reduced by 50% for those entitled to the scheme, the Cabinet Secretary declined to say if she would meet with Ms Wishart again to discuss the issue.
The ferry concessionary voucher entitlement provides free travel and a bunk in a cabin. This used to allow sole passengers a berth in a shared cabin before the shared cabins policy was withdrawn. Now, those with a concessionary voucher entitlement must use two vouchers rather than one to secure a cabin for sole use, effectively halving their entitlement from two return trips to one return trip per year.
Correspondence in the summer from the Cabinet Secretary stated that:
“As noted in my previous letter, it is not possible at this time to amend the scheme to enable sole cabin use with concessionary vouchers, as it is unaffordable and would exacerbate capacity challenges.”
Pods and reclining chairs are an option but they do not provide either privacy or the ability to lie flat on the 14-hour overnight service.
Ms Wishart has repeatedly raised the matter with the Scottish Government including in meetings with the Cabinet Secretary and in correspondence exchanges, including presenting the information from her 2023 NorthLink survey. Ms Wishart had also engaged in the Scottish Government’s Northern Isles Ferry Services 4 (NIFS4) contract consultation, submitting a 3,500-word response in the Autumn.
After the exchange Ms Wishart said:
“I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her previous meetings with me on these matters though further engagement to finally resolve the issue would be welcome.
“It is one thing to make submissions to the future contract but re-instating the option of shared cabins as soon as possible would be beneficial to passengers and it would help to alleviate capacity challenges.
“It is certainly not right that those eligible for concessionary vouchers, often older passengers and/or in need of additional support, have had their entitlement for a berth in a cabin on the overnight passage effectively halved and I would like the SNP Government to explain how they think that is fair.”
You can see Ms Wishart’s question and the full exchange with the Cabinet Secretary here.
A copy of the Cabinet Secretary’s response letter to Ms Wishart from July 2025 can be found here.
Ms Wishart’s submission to the Scottish Government’s Northern Isles Ferry Services 4 (NIFS4) contract consultation here.