I will certaintly take this matter up with the Scottish Transport Group, and I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for raising it. There was some difficulty about a certain vessel being available, but at least a vessel was provided.

The hon. Member for the Western Isles asked about consultation on schedules. I can tell him that next summer's timetables have been put to local authorities for comment before publication later this month.

The only other point on which I was asked to comment was raised by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East. He asked about the words "at arms length" in paragraph 13 of the undertaking. These words are included in order to ensure that any commercial transactions between David MacBrayne Ltd. and Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. are done on a fully commercial basis. For example, if David MacBrayne had to charter a ship from Caledonian MacBrayne because there had been a breakdown, it would be necessary, because of the subsidy operation, for it to be clearly seen that the charter was done on a commercial basis. That is the object of the words, which I hope will meet the need.

I am very glad that the House has welcomed this undertaking, and I hope that it will live up to its obligations.