Meeting of the Parliament 21 May 2025
I am glad to open the debate and highlight the enduring importance of Scotland’s island communities and businesses. I will take this opportunity to outline the work that the Scottish Government has undertaken in partnership with communities, businesses and local authorities to promote our islands’ voices and support their aspirations. In addition, I would like to update members on the development of a new national islands plan and on the progress that has been made on implementing the carbon neutral islands project.
Scotland’s islands are an integral part of our national character, and they continue to play a vital role in how we are perceived around the globe. Island economies combine a mix of tradition and innovation that spans a diverse range of sectors, from farming and crofting to agritourism, and from food and drink to spaceports and, of course, fishing and aquaculture.
I know that island entrepreneurialism was, rightly, celebrated through a recent members’ business debate that was promoted by Jamie Halcro Johnston. It is only right that we take every opportunity to recognise and champion rural and island businesses and their central role in sustaining our island communities. Next week, we will mark seven years since the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 was approved by this Parliament. To this day, Scotland remains one of the few countries worldwide with an island-specific piece of legislation. We should be very proud of that and continue to celebrate it.
The 2018 act introduced an explicit requirement for ministers and 70 other public bodies to have due regard for island communities. Island communities impact assessments are a formal mechanism to ensure that public bodies island proof their decision making by considering our islands’ unique circumstances.