Progress on the new Islands Bill took a step in the right direction last week after the first stage debate discussing a national islands plan took place at Holyrood, writes Colin Smeeton.
The Islands Bill seeks to ensure all public body and government policy decisions ‘have due regard’ to island communities when making decisions and makes it a statutory duty for the Scottish Government to produce a National Islands Plan on a regular basis.
The Bill which is aimed at tackling the issues that island communities face – such as transportation, access to medical facilities, cost of living and delivery charges among others – was proposed to alleviate the burden and disharmonious treatment of islanders.
Speaking at the debate in Holyrood, Mr Jamie Greene MSP – whose West Region includes Arran and Cumbrae – spoke of the importance in recognising the individuality of each island and stressed that a one-sizefits-all approach will not be sufficient when government ministers bring forward their national islands plan.
He pledged to continue to work constructively with the Scottish Government in helping to develop the bill over the coming months and has also set up a video conference link between the Scottish Parliament and community leaders on Arran as part of the official evidence gathering session of the parliament’s scrutiny of the new Bill.