Alex Rowley
Scottish Labour · Scotland
“Does the minister accept that funding for Forth Valley College needs to increase year on year? Otherwise, we will be in the same position next year and the following year, with the Alloa campus facing the threat of closure.”
“We have had eight parliamentary debates on sport in this session since 2021—I checked that yesterday with the Scottish Parliament information centre; we have four cross-party groups in the Parliament that look at different aspects of sport; and we have a whole host of strategies.”
“Many years ago, when I was a councillor in Kelty, the local community came together to save a park, and it raised a whack of money—about £800,000 in total—for a play park.”
“I am a kind of glass-half-full type of person, and I believe that progress has been made over the 12 years for which I have been an MSP, although it is true that we need to do a lot more. One of the keys to that is getting people to work together. When it comes to sport in the area that I come from— Fife—I see loads of volunteers.”
“I am pleased to speak in Brian Whittle’s members’ business debate. When I saw the motion, I thought, “That’s the one I’ll make my final speech as an MSP in.” I know, from serving on committees with Brian over the past 10 years since he entered Parliament, that sport is an issue that he has consistently highlighted.”
“That is a result of the investment that Fife Council made in the park in 2012-13, including in an astroturf pitch that Kelty Hearts now play on. That is there for the public—it is a public park. Alongside that, there is a big new community centre. We can see the value of that. Most of those activities are run by volunteers.”
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Every one of 200 lines we hold for Alex Rowley, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 4.
“Now, suddenly, the Government wants to put an engine from Lochgelly back into one of those areas. The whole thing is a total farce. It is a total mess. The people of Scotland are speaking out loud and clear. As we have a minister who sits behind fire service management without seeming to provide any leadership, I say to every other minister in the Cabinet and to every other MSP that they must not allow the situation to continue, and that they must get the FBU Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service back around the table and have a discussion about how we can proceed. We must take people with us, not put lives at risk, which is what is being proposed today. Members must reject the amendment in the name of the minister and put out a clear statement saying that we will fight to protect fire services up and down Scotland.”
“Are they going to ignore local communities up and down Scotland? Where I come from, the Cowdenbeath area committee, which is made up of SNP, Conservative and Labour councillors, is unanimously calling for the proposals to be stopped and for the issue to be looked at again. The Government must do that, because consistent cuts to fire services over the years have left the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service stretched to its absolute limit. As has been said, the latest round of cuts that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has proposed would result in 13 stations being closed and 10 appliances being withdrawn. Let us take Fife as an example. In 2023, a fire engine was withdrawn from Methil and another one was withdrawn from Glenrothes. Fire facilities have also been withdrawn from Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.”
“Communities up and down Scotland are saying that they are opposed to the proposals. Earlier, Douglas Ross said that senior management is “immune” to those arguments. I sometimes think that the minister is completely immune to them, too. Basically, she is saying that, if the management of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has said that the proposals are right, they must be right. Today, she told us that a detailed simulation has taken place. Despite the concerns about safety, she is saying that a simulation has been done on a computer and that it is a case of “computer says no.” I have questions for every politician here today. Are they seriously going to ignore the major concerns of front-line firefighters? Are they seriously going to ignore the Fire Brigades Union, which says that lives are being and will be put at risk?”
“This metric is also unrepresentative of the broad range of emergencies, prevention, training and fire safety work we undertake.” I urge every member of the Parliament not to support the Government’s amendment, because, as the FBU has said, it brushes over issues. Where are we? What is the position? The senior management of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has put forward proposals that will have a detrimental impact on communities. The FBU Scotland and front-line firefighters are telling us that lives will be put at risk as a result of the proposed changes. Local communities across Scotland have considered the issue at packed-out public meetings. In my area, after Lochgelly community council organised a public meeting, other community councils joined in and said that they are also opposed to the proposals.”
“This morning, the east area chair of the FBU, Lewis Clark, said: “The amendment to the motion submitted by Siobhian Brown looks to detract from the responsibility that the Scottish Government, and the Minister for Community Safety, has to properly resource Scotland’s fire service. House fires have reduced, due in great part to the work of our fire fighters in delivering community safety. It doesn’t mean house fires don’t happen. To simply reduce fire cover, increasing the time before a rescue attempt can happen, for those that will still be affected by house fires, doesn’t make sense.”
“If the minister is tone deaf and cannot grasp the level of concern across the chamber from members about what is being proposed, I certainly hope that other ministers, cabinet secretaries and Government advisers are listening, because the situation is not acceptable. Siobhian Brown’s amendment states that “no decisions will be taken until an independent analysis of the public consultation has been carried out”. We need absolute assurance that no decisions will be taken until that independent analysis comes back to the Parliament and there is a full debate, in Government time, on the issue. If the Government will not sign up to that, I ask my business manager and all the other business managers to ensure that the proposals do not proceed before there is a proper debate in the Parliament.”
“It is a public company, it is under public ownership and, therefore, the Government must take more of a lead. I agreed with Mark Ruskell when he questioned whether WICS is the right model. That is a serious question that the next Government must look at in the next session of Parliament. We are proud of Scottish Water and we prevented it from being privatised. Let us ensure that it is not privatised by the back door by management that is, it seems, accountable to nobody. 16:41”
“The First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy continue to express confidence in Scottish Water’s executive leadership team, but they should be reminded that their confidence is not shared by the Scottish Water workforce. In the most recent staff survey, there was a very low level of confidence in the direction that the executive leadership team is taking the company in. We should be proud of Scottish Water, and I agree with the point that Jackie Dunbar made earlier, as I was appalled when I heard the Labour minister attack Scottish Water. Scottish Water is a public company—we fought for that and stopped its privatisation—and we need the Scottish Government to show leadership, because there are serious concerns about the leadership in Scottish Water at this time.”
“Given the failures revealed at WICS, including the failures in Scottish Govt sponsorship of the regulator, these decisions, which have a direct impact on employed staff, deserve detailed scrutiny. This is especially timely and necessary as planning is in train for the new regulatory planning cycle 2027-2033. Scottish Govt should be asked to investigate the evidence that outsourcing decisions taken by Scottish Water deliver value for money.” It is certainly clear that WICS has not been doing its job in that regard. It is time for the Scottish Government to intervene and take the lead by reminding Scottish Water that it is a publicly owned company that the public expect to be properly run.”
“This morning, I spoke to my trade union, Unison, which represents workers at the commission, and I want to put on the record what it said to me. It said: “On decisions affecting the workforce, Scottish Water has taken decisions on whether to deliver operations directly or through procurement without any form of consultation with the staff trade unions or, indeed, acknowledgement that this is necessary. There has also been no consultation with the trade unions on Scottish Water’s plans for ‘transformation’.” The First Minister “and cabinet secretary have both endorsed Scottish Water’s publicly owned delivery model, but it is increasingly not a publicly delivered service.”
“I commend the Public Audit Committee for its excellent report and the detail that it has gone into. Richard Leonard has set it all out very well, so I will not simply repeat it. As others—Mark Ruskell, Sarah Boyack, Graham Simpson and Monica Lennon—have made clear today, the Government needs to look at its role in this. A memory that will always stick with me goes back to when Thatcher was in power and wanted to privatise Scottish Water. The then Labour MEP Alex Falconer hired buses and we all bussed it up to Glendevon reservoir and launched the campaign to stop the privatisation of Scotland’s water. It is important to look not just at what WICS has been doing but at what it has not been doing. The Government needs to take a closer look at that.”
“To ask the First Minister, in light of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s warnings of water scarcity over the summer and the introduction of restrictions on water abstraction last week in some areas, including north Fife, what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure water supply in Scotland in the face of changing climate conditions. (S6F-04244)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage and support local authorities to empower and enable people and communities to have a greater say over the delivery of local public services. (S6O-04880)”
“Dentistry is far too important to allow communities to be left beholden to such large corporate entities, which put profit before people. We have to recognise that, while the Government has started to take action, much more has to be done. Every individual in the country should be able to access an NHS dentist, and if they cannot, the costs of that will be massive for people and their health and for the Government. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the open debate. I remind all members who are seeking to contribute to check that they have pressed their request-to-speak button, and I remind members that speeches should be of up to four minutes. 17:45”
“In addition, maintaining good oral hygiene helps to prevent common problems such as tooth decay and gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss, bad breath and more serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory infections, and which are linked to some forms of cancer. It is therefore crucial that, in a developed country such as Scotland, the population is able to access dental care. As one constituent put it to me, being able to access a dentist must be a requirement that every citizen can expect. I welcome the steps that the Government has taken this year, but much more must be done. If larger corporate entities are taking over smaller practices and removing NHS provision, we must be clear that alternative provision will be put in place.”
“We have decided to pause sign ups for now to cater to those who have signed up already.” As I said, it is very welcome that the Government now recognises that action is desperately required, but much more will be required to address the underinvestment, for a decade and more, that has led to the unacceptable situation in which tens of thousands of people find themselves unable to access NHS dentistry. I will outline why that is important. NHS Fife has always emphasised that emergency care remains available. However, preventive dental care is significantly less expensive than the cost of treating advanced dental disease.”
“A total of 3,000 people signing up so far shows the sheer volume of those who are not able to access NHS dentistry; the numbers across Scotland are in the tens of thousands. When I found out about the welcome new developments, I wrote to people who had contacted me, including the two ladies I quoted earlier. One thanked me and said that she had been able to sign up with the new dentist in Dunfermline. The other lady responded that she had tried to register, but the lists were closed. When I looked on the website of the new practice, it said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response from those who have signed up already.”
“Health Boards like NHS Fife have no means of compelling practices to provide NHS dental services, and with the shift over recent years from smaller NHS-run practices to larger corporate entities, we have very limited influence over practice decisions. We are, however, committed to supporting practices to improve access to NHS dentistry within our control and remit.” I acknowledge that the Government is trying to address the issues with a 15 per cent increase in this year’s dental services budget, and I welcome the additional investment, including the establishment of the Scottish dental access initiative grant. That new grant has, in part, led to a new six-surgery facility opening in Dunfermline, which has registered its first 3,000 NHS patients since July. That is very welcome, but much more will need to be done.”
“Hope to hear from you.” Another lady, from south-west Fife, said: “My current dentist has informed me that they are no longer offering NHS treatment. I have tried and exhausted all possible means of finding a new dentist. I am not in pain and am willing to go on a waiting list. Even the waiting lists are closed!!! So I find myself at a complete loss. I am usually reluctant to use the word ‘entitled’—but in this country, currently, NHS dental care is my entitlement. Yet there is absolutely no provision. What do you suggest I do?” When I raised the matter directly with NHS Fife, its chief executive officer responded: “There is a national shortage of qualified dentists currently and this remains a significant issue impacting NHS dentistry across Scotland, including here in Fife.”
“I received an email from a local dentist saying they are no longer doing NHS only private and must decide by beginning of June or I will be put off list altogether—won’t have a dentist. Mr Rowley I was with Breeze for 45 yrs. I am a pensioner in June. Tried six dentists in” Dunfermline, “even went in to them in person not taking any new NHS!!! This is absolutely shocking! Finally went down to Cowdenbeath dentist Stenhouse Street—not taking anyone on NHS just now. Why can’t I get a dentist it’s a disgrace!!! Breeze offering private payment plan monthly, that’s not counting the treatment you might need and can’t afford. Really upset me very much. Why can’t I get into a dentist what’s the problem!? This is a shocking disgrace.”
“I thank the MSPs who signed my motion to enable us to have the debate, and I thank my business manager for allocating time for what I believe is an important issue that the Parliament and the Government must do more to address. I brought the debate to the chamber as a result of being contacted, time and again, by constituents who have been struggling to access a national health service dentist and, more recently, by constituents who are being told that their dentist has decided to withdraw from NHS provision and who are being given a choice to either sign up to a monthly payment plan or leave the practice. An example comes from an email that I received from a lady in Cowdenbeath some months ago. She stated: “Dear Mr Rowley, I am emailing you to see if there’s any advice or help you can give me as I am stressing out.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted yes. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Rowley. Your vote will be recorded.”
“He had a great day and went back and told others. We should be encouraging people to come to the Parliament. I do not have a lot of time left to make my real point. The point that I want to get across is one that was made by Professor Jim Gallacher, who said: “Scotland is one of the most centralised nations in Europe.” Since the Scottish Parliament came into being, that centralisation has been quite incredible. If we are serious about wanting to address democracy, we have to return to the principles upon which the Scottish Parliament was set up, which held that we should have power coming down the way from Westminster, but then power should be going out the way from this place and into local authorities and communities. That has to be addressed as part of the debate. 16:35”
“One of the Parliament’s strengths that I have seen in the time that I have been here is the number of schools and pupils who visit the Parliament. Many of the pupils who have visited since I started here will have left school and will be working in different areas, but they will remember their visit. I know that a good number of MSPs in the region that I represent make an effort to meet those pupils. The education service in this Parliament does a brilliant job. I am constantly encouraging people through local press and social media to visit. A number of months ago, I met a guy who was really interested in politics. He had not been to the Parliament. I told him to come and that I would arrange for him to visit. He responded by saying, “But I’m SNP!” I told him that that did not matter to me and asked him to come along.”
“MSPs had opportunities to talk to others and to listen to the many different issues that were being raised. We should be trying many different things. We should be monitoring and evaluating those, and seeing what is successful and what is not. Jackson Carlaw referred to the effectiveness of the committees. That is an issue, along with the point that Martin Whitfield raised about giving authority to the Conveners Group, as recommended in the committee’s report, and whether that would be the right way forward. There is also a feeling that, if we elected the committee conveners, that would perhaps be more effective, too. There are a number of aspects that need to be looked at. Ben Macpherson touched on a number of issues as to how we move forward.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Again, I ask members to speak through the chair. Alex Rowley: If I get a chance, I will come on to the media. First, the committee’s report is a good report, and I have no issues or problems with it, generally. As Jackson Carlaw said, it is not a panacea, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. However, as Stephen Kerr has said, we are talking about only having four panels over four years, so between 100 and 140 people would be involved in the process. I support the proposal, but I stress its limitations. As Christine Grahame asked earlier, who is it that we are trying to reach? Evelyn Tweed referred to the Presiding Officer’s tour of the regions. I, too, attended the Alloa event that day. I found it really quite inspiring.”
“Members need to be out there, so that people do not say that they only see their politicians at election time; we have to be out there, listening to and meeting groups. As many members have said, there is a whole raft of things that we can do to try to tackle some of those issues. Christine Grahame: Will the member take an intervention now? Alex Rowley: It will have to be very brief, please. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Briefly, Christine Grahame. Christine Grahame: I will be extremely brief. Mr Rowley and many other members of the chamber work very hard as MSPs, as do I. They are really decent people who work for their constituents. Do you not think that the media holds some blame for the way in which we are presented given that most of us are very hard working?”
“People have said that if that is the only way to reach power, that is fine, but the fact is that that approach is causing dwindling trust in politics and political parties and is damaging democracy itself. Christine Grahame: Will the member take an intervention? Alex Rowley: I will take an intervention in a second. We need only look at some of the reporting on the by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. People are being interviewed on the doorstep and they are saying, “They all promise you the world when they are looking for your vote but, when they get into power, they don’t deliver.” That view is pretty common. As Foysol Choudhury said, this place is not the only issue.”
“We have had an interesting debate today. In the lead up to the previous Scottish Parliament election, a survey by the Electoral Reform Society showed that two thirds of the people who were surveyed—that is 67 per cent—said that they had “little or no influence over decisions that affect their local community.” That is an issue—it shows that people feel quite alienated. Jackson Carlaw spoke about the low level of trust in politicians, which is a fact. I should be clear that I blame the politicians, particularly the political parties, for that low level of trust. We have had a nice debate in here today, but the reality is that afterwards, the political parties will be back at it, trying to score points off each other every day.”
“The Government needs to accept its responsibility for education—otherwise, what is the point of having an education secretary? The Deputy Presiding Officer: George Adam will be the final speaker in the open debate. You have up to four minutes, Mr Adam. 15:31”
“Right now, they are being denied that. The cabinet secretary must take some responsibility for that. A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a young woman in Fife who told me that, after graduating as a teacher, she got a temporary contract for a year in a primary school, which she loved. She was enjoying that job, but it came to an end, and she is now running around trying to get another job in teaching. As she cannot find a job in teaching, she is having to look elsewhere. We need more teachers and smaller class sizes, we need to ensure that there are more teaching assistants in our classrooms and we need to look at additional support needs. Those are the issues that come through time and time again, but the Government does not seem to be addressing any of them. That is the problem. I have outlined what needs to happen.”
“As a former teacher, the cabinet secretary will know that teachers expect primary school pupils to come through at a certain level and that, if they do not come through at that level, teachers have to spend a lot of time trying to support them. We doom too many children to failure. Earlier, the Green MSP Maggie Chapman spoke about budgets. She was right to do so. Around 50 per cent of local authorities’ budgets go on education. Local authorities have had to deal with pressures for a good number of years, and education budgets have taken a hit. Councillors who have to put a budget together cannot make cuts without looking at the education service. We need to address the issue of resources and finances, and we need to look at class sizes so that, as children come through, they have the best opportunity to achieve their full potential.”
“However, in 2022, I made a freedom of information request asking what class sizes were in Fife. The response showed that, in local primary schools, there were 412 classes with more than 25 pupils, and 136 classes with more than 30 pupils. I know that, in many of those classes, there is one teacher to 30 pupils, or one teacher to 25 pupils. Teachers have told me that they simply do not have the time to spend with children in order to bring them on. We have the atrocious situation in which far too many children are going from primary school to secondary school not equipped to take in the lessons there.”
“We will not be able to tackle the workforce challenges in education until we tackle the massive issues in our schools, which this Government has failed to do. Jackie Dunbar said that STEM graduates are highly sought after, which is right. However, given the challenges that teachers are facing, including burnout and behavioural problems in our schools, people weighing up their career after graduation are highly likely to go somewhere other than teaching. It is not always about money; there is also the stress and everything else that goes with being a teacher these days. The record of this SNP Government is one of broken promises. It was first elected on a promise of cutting class sizes. The cabinet secretary talked about the teacher pupil ratio being lower in Scotland than elsewhere, which, as a generalisation, it might be.”
“There is also a need for a new support programme for community-led development and ownership of heat networks, to meet growing community interest in this area.” I hope that the Scottish Government will consider those five proposals and will give serious consideration to the points that are being made. 14:52”
“The next revision of the National Framework Agreement for the Supply of Electricity should enable local authorities who use the framework to buy a percentage of their power from local communities. 5. Provide multi-year funding for community energy and heat projects. The recent increase in Scottish Government funding for community energy is very welcome, and will allow more communities to access additional private … finance. However, projects are being held back by short funding timescales. Longer timescales to utilise the funding, which enable the majority of construction work to happen outwith the winter months, would unlock more growth in the sector.”
“This would bring Scotland in line with Denmark, where a policy of 20% minimum shared ownership since 2008 has led to around 52% of wind in Denmark being citizen-owned (compared to 0.2% in Scotland), and has allowed the country to move faster in decarbonising its energy mix. Scottish Government could set a voluntary benchmark by updating its Good Practice Principles for Shared Ownership, and renewables projects on public land could be required to meet this benchmark. 4. Enabling local authorities to buy energy directly from community energy groups. This would mean lower costs for the local authority and a guaranteed income for the community group, retaining wealth in the community.”
“There is a significant opportunity for a portion of this to transfer into community ownership when the current leases expire. The recent test case at Cruach Mhor on the Cowal peninsula was a missed opportunity for full community ownership. Scottish Government should issue guidance to land-owning public bodies that they should give local community bodies the opportunity to acquire new or ‘repowering’ leases before putting them out to tender on the open market. (Repowering is when the technology needs upgrading before continuing to operate.) 3. Setting an industry-wide good practice benchmark for shared ownership offers; we recommend 20% as the minimum stake offered to local communities.”
“We can ensure a just energy transition for Scotland’s communities.” Community Energy Scotland and the Scottish community coalition on energy argue that “The Scottish Government can support the growth of community energy in Scotland by: 1. Setting a statutory target for community energy; we recommend 1GW of wholly community-owned energy by 2030. This should be distinct from the 2GW target for local- and community-owned energy. We should ensure that Scotland plays its part in meeting the UK target of 8GW of community energy by 2030. This will allow us to leverage in more UK Government funding.” It is crucial that both Governments work together on that. The briefing continues: “2. Making space for community energy on public land. Forestry and Land Scotland alone hosts over 1GW of wind capacity on its land, all in private ownership.”
“Community ownership of energy addresses all of these challenges: It puts communities in control, enabling them to make choices about location and design of developments that suit their own needs; It provides greater financial benefit for local economies. Community-owned turbines provide 34x more funding per Megawatt to the local community than privately-owned turbines; Community and shared ownership increases public support for renewables. 62% of the public would support community-owned energy in their area. This should translate into improved investor confidence and support project delivery. Without increased community and shared ownership, Scotland’s net zero target may be at risk. But if we can grow community ownership, we can increase support for clean energy, while powering true community wealth building.”
“Community Energy Scotland and the Scottish community coalition on energy have provided a briefing for the debate. The points that they make are well worth putting on the record. They say: “We have abundant renewables potential and considerable capacity in the pipeline; however, the industry is facing challenges, including securing sufficient investment and public support. At the same time, energy bills and fuel poverty levels are still far too high, and many people feel powerless when it comes to the energy transition. We recognise that many communities feel that it’s being done to them, not with them or for them.”
“We are determined to ensure that all communities, including the most rural, benefit in that way.”
“That began with Newton primary school, whose students designed the logo for the project. All three schools have had the opportunity to learn about the solar panels that will be at their schools, with photovoltaic kits provided. I imagine that quite a lot of the renewables engineers of the future will be coming from those schools as a result. Wouldn’t that be nice to see? The project has already been recognised by the University of Strathclyde as one of the community challenge projects, and students have undertaken a group project to support the development of the proposed plan for Wallacetown to be a net zero village. That is what CARES is all about: supporting communities to participate in, drive and benefit from the energy transition to net zero emissions so as to see the real benefits of the renewable energy sector.”
“Another solar project in Wallacetown in South Ayrshire demonstrates the positive impacts that community energy groups can bring to the local area. The community identified three publicly owned school buildings in Wallacetown that could host solar PV panels on their roofs. CARES support has allowed them to progress through the pre-installation phase, and the installation is due to begin this summer. The project plans to generate energy that will be used within the schools that are hosting the solar panels, which will offset their energy costs, with surplus electricity going back into the grid. Income raised from that will be used by the community to help those within the community who are feeling the worst impacts of fuel poverty. The project is also committed to community building and education.”
“The growth fund pilot that took place last year supported a wide range of activities, including feasibility studies, securing grid connections, planning and installation and build costs. Arran Community Renewables received almost £0.5 million to develop its community solar project. CARES funding supported vital work on grid connection, planning application and project management costs. The project has now been granted planning consent for a 6MW solar farm, which will be wholly owned by the community and will contribute to a benefit fund for the island. Once complete, it will become Scotland’s biggest community-owned solar farm. It has been reported that it will produce enough renewable energy to meet up to one quarter of the island’s domestic power needs.”
“Does the cabinet secretary believe that councils have an important role to play in supporting community organisations? Gillian Martin: It is the essence of community wealth building and community empowerment that local authorities work with those in their communities who want to take up some of the opportunities in community-owned energy. I know that a lot of councils have dedicated officials, particularly in the community empowerment space, who will be able to assist. CARES is also a vital resource and, as I have said, the Local Energy Scotland website has named individuals for each area, and communities can contact them by phone or email. That has proven to be very helpful.”
“People living in the north and south of the island have been left completely at odds on the matter, because a decision was made that did not put Mull front and centre. It has left children in the south needing to spend most of their term time in mainland hostels, completely contravening their human rights and threatening their wellbeing. We need to avoid such scenarios, in which decisions are made for, rather than by, islanders. I call once again on the Government and the Parliament to design with islanders and our rural communities, rather than for them. Let us put islanders first. 16:36”
“It is imperative that we do not reach a situation in which there is inequality of opportunity between our islands, and that all islands have an opportunity to participate with enough time, so that they can hit the carbon neutrality that we are seeking by 2045. If we can get it right on the islands, we can get it right anywhere in Scotland. As I mentioned in my opening speech, more decision making needs to take place in local communities, so that islanders feel like they have a real stake. In fact, it goes beyond their just feeling like they do—islanders must have a real stake in their communities. We have already seen the consequences of not doing that, on Mull. Communities on the island have been badly divided over the decision to build a new school campus in Tobermory.”
“Wherever I go in the Highlands and Islands, the ring of EU golden stars on a blue background is ubiquitous. Brexit also created a great deal of red tape and paperwork for our small artisanal fishers. I think that the Government’s announcement of the next phase of the carbon-neutral islands scheme is a step in the right direction when it comes to empowering islanders. It is good that existing projects will be able to look ahead and plan for the next few years, but given that the initiative is already delivering a tangible impact for communities, I urge the Government to go further faster. By the time the new road map draws to a close, it will have been seven years since the project was launched, and the other Scottish island communities will not be any clearer on how the project could help them on the road to net zero.”
“Claire Baker pointed out islanders’ lack of awareness of the islands plan and its outcomes. She made the point that we need to bring services to people, rather than people to services. That picks up on what I said in my opening speech: we must start designing policy with islanders and rural communities, not for them, so that it works for them, to ensure that they thrive. The issue of housing was raised by a number of members. Colin Beattie mentioned the rural and islands housing fund. It is clear how vital that fund is, so it is essential that we listen to communities that understand how we can make it work even better. Clare Adamson said that the elephant in the room was Brexit and the challenges that it has brought for our island communities as a result of the loss of the EU structural fund. That is certainly the case.”