Chamber
Plenary, 11 Jan 2007
11 Jan 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Highlands (Young People)
General Questions
I will look out my spade. To take the issue seriously, I am not aware of those circumstances, but I will discuss what has happened with the Minister for Transport.
I am a constituency member for two island communities and will not take any lessons from Jamie McGrigor on the importance of ferry services to island communities. The Executive has invested heavily in ferry services and will continue to work to protect them from privatisation. Jamie McGrigor would doubtless support such privatisation, which would lead to a diminution of services to island residents.
The extension of broadband and the new technological highways to employment and economic opportunities represent a great advance for island residents and the island economy more generally. Such advances have helped to boost populations and employment in island communities. They have helped to end the tyranny of distance, which has been the curse of island communities and of the Highlands more generally in the past. That said, we will certainly look into what has happened on Gigha and get back to Jamie McGrigor.
I am a constituency member for two island communities and will not take any lessons from Jamie McGrigor on the importance of ferry services to island communities. The Executive has invested heavily in ferry services and will continue to work to protect them from privatisation. Jamie McGrigor would doubtless support such privatisation, which would lead to a diminution of services to island residents.
The extension of broadband and the new technological highways to employment and economic opportunities represent a great advance for island residents and the island economy more generally. Such advances have helped to boost populations and employment in island communities. They have helped to end the tyranny of distance, which has been the curse of island communities and of the Highlands more generally in the past. That said, we will certainly look into what has happened on Gigha and get back to Jamie McGrigor.
In the same item of business
1. Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage young people to live and work in the Highlands. (S2O-11594)
The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (Allan Wilson):
Lab
Our key strategies, which include determined to succeed, our targeted support for people in the not in education, employment or training group and our fundin...
Mr Stone:
LD
Does the minister acknowledge that a major barrier to young people staying in the Highlands is the lack of affordable housing, particularly in areas of high ...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I largely agree with that prognosis. We must get the fundamentals right, which means creating economic and employment opportunities. The record-high employme...
Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab):
Lab
It is highly appropriate that the minister who moved Scottish Natural Heritage's headquarters closer to the heritage that it is paid to monitor and protect i...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I agree. The Executive and I take pride in the decision that took Scottish Natural Heritage to Inverness. Our relocation policy represents a good example of ...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
Recent ministerial answers show that more than 10 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds left Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross in 2000-01 and it is likely that ...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I have referred to steps that I and people in other departments have taken to disperse jobs. The Executive remains committed to job dispersal as a whole.A di...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
The minister will be aware that ferry services are particularly important if we want to keep young people on our islands. Is he aware of what has recently ha...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I will look out my spade. To take the issue seriously, I am not aware of those circumstances, but I will discuss what has happened with the Minister for Tran...