Islands (Scotland) Bill

 

The Islands (Scotland) Bill was introduced by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP, on 9 June 2017.

A Bill for an Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision for a national islands plan; to impose duties in relation to island communities on certain public authorities; to make provision about the electoral representation of island communities; and to establish a licensing scheme in respect of marine development adjacent to islands.

• Read the Bill and its accompanying documents

SPICe Briefings

SPICe Briefing: Islands (Scotland) Bill

SPICe Briefing: Islands (Scotland) Bill in Gaelic - Bile nan Eilean (Alba)

Stage 1

 

 

Stage 2

At its meeting on 21 and 28 March 2018, the Committee considered the Bill at Stage 2. You can read the Minutes and Official Report of the meeting here:

• 21 March 2018
• Official Report and Minutes

 

• 28 March 2018
• Official Report and Minutes

Stage 3

On 30 May 2018, Parliament considered the Bill at Stage 3.

• Bill (As Passed) (439KB pdf) posted 31 May 2018

Official Report

Evidence

The Committee issued a call for evidence, which ran from 26 June 2017 to 25 September 2017.

• Call for evidence (209KB pdf)
• Gaelic call for evidence (251KB pdf)

Islands (Scotland) Bill survey (external site)

We encourage you to use our template to submit your view.

• Written evidence template (27KB doc)

Read the submissions received

Visits and Events

As part of the Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill, the Committee are committed to getting out and about to hear the views directly from Islanders on the Bill.

In August 2017, the Committee held an community engagement event in Craignure Community Hall on Mull to discuss the Bill.

• Summary of the discussion (177KB pdf)

In September 2017, the Committee hosted a video conference with the University of Highlands and Islands students from various islands to discuss the Bill.

• Summary of the discussion (163KB pdf)

In October 2017, the Committee visited Orkney to hold an external Committee meeting with Orkney and Shetland Island Councils. While the Committee was in Orkney, they met with local community members and businesses interest to discuss their views on the Bill.

• Summary of the discussion (264KB pdf)

In October 2017, the Committee visited the Western Isles to meet with various communities, organisations, representatives of public bodies and individuals to discuss their views on the Bill.

• Summary of the discussion (188KB pdf)

In November 2017, the Committee hosted a video conference with a geoup of community representatives from Arran to discuss the Bill.

• Summary of the discussion (222KB pdf)

Correspondence

• Letter from the Minister for Transport and the Islands to the Committee regarding the Islands Bill, 23 August 2016 (105KB pdf)
• Letter from the Islands Bill Team to the Committee regarding follow up response from 8 November meeting, 5 December 2017 (39KB pdf)
• Letter from the Minister for Transport and the Islands to the Committee regarding the timings of the laying and publication of the National Islands Plan, 22 March 2018 (531KB pdf)

Work by other Committees

• Letter from the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee to Committee regarding ECCLR Committee interested in the Part 5 provisions of the Bill that relate to Scotland islands marine development licences, 29 June 2017 (96KB pdf)
• Letter from the Committee to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee regarding the Committee's plans to scrutinise the Bill in response to their letter received on 29 June 2017, 2 August 2017 (174KB pdf)
• Letter from the Committee to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee regarding an update on the Committee's consideration of the Islands (Scotland) Bill, in particular the Scottish Government's response on marine licensing, 16 November 2017 (101KB pdf)

Report

2nd Report, 2018 (Session 5): Stage 1 Report on the Islands (Scotland) Bill

• Summary of recommendations from the Stage Report 1 in Gaelic (226KB pdf)

Responses to the Stage 1 Report

• Letter from James Stockan, the Leader of Orkney Islands Council commending the Committee on the Stage 1 Report on the Islands (Scotland) Bill, 23 January 2018 (67KB pdf)

The Committee received the Scottish Government's response on 2 February 2018.

• Response from Humza Yousaf, the Minister for Transport and the Islands (553KB pdf)
• Letter from the Minister for Transport and the Islands to the Committee regarding the six islands local authorities views on the Committee recommendations on making creation of local authority level island plans a statutory requirement, 14 March 2018 (410KB pdf)