Ditch tests and deliver today, says McArthur

Orkney's MSP, Liam McArthur, has called on Scottish Ministers to ditch plans to spend £300,000 on 'Practical Policy Tests' and instead target resources on measures that will help sustain island populations.

Speaking during Rural Affairs and Islands Questions earlier, Mr McArthur said proposals to use money from the scrapped 'Islands Bond' scheme to undertake 'tests' to inform a future action plan is "unlikely to have them dancing in the isles".

It follows confirmation by Rural Affairs and Islands Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, in a recent parliamentary question that "£300,000 allocated to the Islands Bond this financial year will now be used to shape a range of tests to help inform policy in an islands context".

Orkney's MSP used the examples of expanding Orkney's inter-isles air services and providing additional support to students wishing to come to our islands to study as a better use of the limited resources. In response, Ms Gougeon said that there are a "number of interventions currently underway" to help resilience of island communities.

Commenting afterwards, Mr McArthur said:

"The Minister deserves credit for ditching the ridiculous Island Bonds scheme, but plans to spend £300,000 on policy tests hardly seems like a better use of scarce public funds.

"Islanders have consistently made clear that a lack of affordable housing, non-existent broadband and poor transport connections are the root causes of depopulation. While Ministers prioritise drafting more action plans, islanders want to see action on the ground.

"I've offered various ways in which Ministers could be taking that would have an impact in our island communities. Improving transport links or providing greater opportunities for students who wish to study in our islands are just two examples.

"Whatever they do, Ministers need to ditch the tests and get creative on how the £5m of support is targeted to deliver the objective of building resilience in our island communities."