Meeting of the Parliament 18 January 2024
As we approach a number of pivotal points for rural policy, including the emerging rural delivery plan and consideration of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, I believe that it is of the utmost importance that the voices of young people living in our rural areas are more than just heard. We have a duty to listen to young people, as well as to work in partnership with them, if we are to achieve better outcomes for our rural and island communities.
In November, I had the pleasure of meeting more than 70 delegates at the first Scottish rural and islands youth parliament in Fort William, which was part of the wider Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament. I welcomed the opportunity to discuss with delegates the priority issues that they currently face, how they are working to address them and how they want the Government to take action. This debate presents an important opportunity to discuss some of those issues in more detail. I am especially glad that we were able to support delegates from the first Scottish rural and islands youth parliament to attend the debate, and they are in the public gallery today. It is great to see some familiar faces from when we met in Fort William.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge that it is not just the conversations that we will have here in the chamber that are important; it is also those that young people have had, and will have, with one another as part of a network of rural and island youth. For my part, I am committed to continuing to engage with young people across rural Scotland following the debate. It is so important not only that their voices are heard but that they actively influence Scottish Government policies. Hearing them will help us to drive forward the First Minister’s policy missions of equality, opportunity and community. This is a critical time for doing that, as we build the key levers for future rural development.
We already have a strong track record of engaging meaningfully with young people in our rural and island communities, but we also have many future opportunities to look forward to. Those include the publication of a rural delivery plan, a full review of the national islands plan, the new Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, the publication of the addressing depopulation action plan and the good food nation plan, and the implementation of the rural and islands housing action plan.
There has already been engagement with young people through groups such as the community-led local development youth local action groups, the Young Islanders Network and the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs. I want to ensure that young people have a voice in the decisions that affect them.
Following their discussions with each other and then with me, the young people at the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament presented a number of key priority areas for action. I will take a little bit of time to address some of those priority areas. I look forward to exploring those topics further through the course of today’s debate.
One area that was identified as a key priority was housing. Housing of the right type in the right place can have a powerful and generational impact, enabling young people to stay in the communities where they grew up. Despite United Kingdom Government austerity and the fact that we are facing the worst budget settlement since devolution, the Scottish Government continues to prioritise housing and affordable housing in rural areas, with investment of more than £500 million in affordable homes planned for next year. We remain committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes, of which at least 10 per cent will be in rural and island areas.