Hansard

The debate is important. It is on an issue that is close to my heart as a regional member who proudly represents the Isle of Arran and the Isle of Cumbrae, two communities that have shown that they punch well above their weight in terms of their size and presence. Our islanders are a hardy group of people and some of them are in the chamber today.

Living on an island brings a unique set of bonuses and opportunities that people who, like me, live on the mainland never get to appreciate--I would say that we miss out on it—but it also brings many challenges that are not experienced by people who live on the mainland. Those challenges are well rehearsed in the chamber week after week. They include transport, as highlighted by the lively topical question that we have just had; the price and availability of goods and services; access to vital healthcare such as general practice services and hospitals; housing, both its quality and stock; digital infrastructure; and education—not least the difficulties faced by islands in recruiting, training and retaining teachers. Business, too, must contend with the existential problem of depopulation, which I will come on to.

However, despite those struggles, many people still choose to live and work on Scotland’s 93 inhabited islands. One island resident put it eloquently:

“We live and work in a landscape that is sometimes harsh, sometimes peaceful, but always inspiring.”

Anyone who has been to the Isle of Arran will know that “Scotland in miniature” certainly testifies to that sentiment.

We have a duty to help our island communities to achieve net zero but, in doing so, let us acknowledge the day-to-day struggles that they already face by living on an island. I make no apologies for raising the issue of ferries, because it was the single most important issue on the lips of people on our islands when I spoke to them during the recent council election campaign. Some dignity and contrition will be needed in how we approach that issue, because every day that the Arran ferry is out of action costs the local economy £170,000 according to independent figures from the Fraser of Allander Institute. That is a lot of money. Islanders are of course passionate about net zero—we will hear great examples of that in the debate—but we must get the basics of public services right before they can make the transition.

I welcome the fact that Great Cumbrae has been included in the list of islands that will be supported to achieve net zero by 2040, but it is worth putting on record some examples of the great work that is already taking place. Since 2011, the Field Studies Council centre in Millport has reduced its carbon emissions by 34 per cent and saved 389 tonnes of carbon dioxide through solar panels, mini wind turbines, insulation and even tailoring its canteen menu to sell only locally produced and sourced products.

I give special mention to Jacks Alt-Stays, a new glamping business just outside Millport that was set up by cousins Daniel Jack and Adam Jack. They are two young lads—well, they are young from my point of view—and the business is still in the fairly early stages, but they have already planted 618 trees, and they aim to achieve and maintain a carbon neutral business with their glamping pods this summer. I am sure that we all wish those young entrepreneurs the very best in their endeavours, and I look forward to staying there at some point soon, I hope.

That shows the strength of feeling that exists in communities. People want to make a difference and they are doing so. Although Arran is not on the list, it has been leading the way in the whisky industry, which has been discussed. In fact, since 2008, the distilleries on Arran have halved their gas emissions, which is an incredible achievement. One of them is Lagg distillery, which I recommend for a visit.

People on the islands have been coming together to try to help each other. Arran Eco Savvy Community is a charity based in Brodick that does fantastic work by educating residents and helping them with sustainable food, energy, travel and transport. In fact, the charity was recently given an investment of £70,000 for its community-led projects, which will help with the transition to net zero and climate resilience.

Charities, businesses and local residents are doing their bit, but the Government must do its bit, too. I spoke to the newly elected Arran councillor Timothy Billings, who said:

“There seems to be no integrated plan on how net zero is going to be achieved. There are a lot of individual projects going on—for example on active travel and on car sharing—but there is no clear path on how we are really going to get there.”

That is fair criticism, and I do not think that it is politically motivated. The national islands plan annual report of course mentions lots of good work, but let us not forget that, although the current narrative on the cost of living crisis is a worthy debate and headline, it fails to acknowledge that, really, there has been a cost of living crisis on our islands for decades. I have heard reports that diesel was £2.20 a litre on Arran in recent weeks. On Cumbrae, most residents have to get on a ferry and drive to Largs to top up their diesel cars.

It is all very well having a debate about what is reserved and what is devolved and what we can do on VAT and other such matters, but what do we do with the powers that we already have in the Parliament? What are we doing to wean people off their petrol and diesel cars? Much of that is devolved and revolves around infrastructure but, unfortunately, the infrastructure simply is not there. There is a dire lack of charging points for electric vehicles on our islands. In fact, there is only one on Cumbrae. I do not know how we can expect the community there to achieve net zero with one charging point for the 1,300 people who live there and the many thousands of people who visit.

I mentioned depopulation. It is worth noting that the North Ayrshire community planning partnership estimates that, by 2026, the population of Arran will have decreased by 25 per cent. In fact, the over-65 group is the only age group that will increase. The Government has to take that issue seriously and address it.

In the previous session of Parliament, I worked on the flagship, or groundbreaking—call it what you like—islands legislation, which was a genuine cross-party effort. However, real island proofing, which is a fundamental part of that legislation, means taking decisions that benefit islands, not just using the legislation to highlight decisions that are to their detriment, which I am afraid is what is happening at the moment.

There is good will, not just in the chamber but in our island communities, but the Government needs to use every power that it already has to help our islands to meet its objectives.