Meeting of the Parliament 21 May 2025
We are talking about the national islands plan, and this is the opportunity for Parliament to feed into that. I will of course come on to transport, which is an integral part of getting to our islands.
To deliver on another key provision of the 2018 act, Scotland’s first-ever national islands plan was published in December 2019. It was the result of extensive consultation with island communities, and it set out the strategic objectives that have since guided the Scottish Government’s policies and investments for islands.
In the space of just a few years, we have encountered a formidable mix of challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the on-going cost of living crisis, which have impacted our islands significantly. In implementing the plan, we have also had to navigate the detrimental impacts of an unwelcome Brexit. As members have regularly heard me say, Brexit has had profoundly negative consequences for Scotland’s rural and island areas. It has exacerbated labour shortages, created new barriers to trade and stemmed the flow of crucial European Union funding.
In engaging with successive United Kingdom Governments, the Scottish Government has consistently championed the distinct needs of our rural and island communities. However, arbitrary decisions by Governments at Westminster have compounded the damages of Brexit and continue to cause lasting harm to our island communities.
What we witnessed earlier this week is no different. Although the UK-EU summit represents positive momentum in rebuilding our relationship with the European Union, I am deeply disappointed by the UK Government’s lack of meaningful engagement in general and on fisheries in particular. Fisheries is a devolved area, and impacts on fisheries have a disproportionate impact on island jobs and communities.
Despite being at the sharp end of Brexit and the other crises that I mentioned, island communities have shown remarkable resilience. However, the Scottish Government has not taken that for granted. Throughout these difficult times, we have worked with islanders to develop tangible measures to support their economies and wellbeing. For instance, since December 2022, our islands cost crisis emergency fund has helped local authorities to support vulnerable households that are exposed to cost of living pressures. The fund has already distributed £3.4 million, and I am pleased to confirm that a further £1 million will be distributed over the course of 2025 and into 2026.
Much has also been delivered under the national islands plan. Through the islands programme, we have invested more than £15 million in capital for critical infrastructure, which has been used to address locally identified priorities and to fund community-led projects. The fund has supported 70 projects across 51 islands, including the provision of social care facilities on Tiree, a new nursery in Orkney, harbour facilities on Skye and a community hub on Eriskay. Earlier this month, I was delighted to write to local authorities to confirm that another £5.3 million has been allocated to the islands programme for the coming year.
We know that the delivery of more affordable homes is important for islanders. Between April 2016 and March 2024, we delivered almost 1,300 affordable homes in island communities. Between 2023 and 2028, we are making up to £25 million available through the demand-led rural affordable homes for key workers fund, which is available to local authorities and registered social landlords to purchase existing homes, where there is an identified need.