Islands Strategic Group

Overview

The Islands Strategic Group was established in August 2016 to build on the work of the previous Island Areas Ministerial Working Group and the Empowering Scotland's Island Communities prospectus.

Its remit is to consider strategic issues affecting the inhabited island communities of Scotland, and to ensure greater involvement of the relevant councils in helping to identify and design solutions to the unique needs and challenges these communities face.

In particular, the group will:

• assist with the development of provisions for the Islands (Scotland) Bill announced as part of the 2016 Programme for Government, and the supporting statutory guidance that will underpin the Bill
• assist with the development and implementation of the National Islands Plan
• consider how the islands councils, and councils with responsibilities for island communities, are and can be supported to make the most of existing powers available to them. Helping them to engage and empower their communities so that they can deliver efficient, improved and more responsive public services, leading to better outcomes
• consider strategic policy issues/challenges to ensure proper solutions, fit for purpose are being considered to allow greater sustainable economic growth and community development within island communities

The Islands Transport Forum facilitated by the Scottish Government, is delivered as a standing agenda item at the Islands Strategic Group, and chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport.

The remit of the Forum is to consider strategic transport issues affecting Scotland’s islands. The purpose is to facilitate proactive engagement and collaboration on supporting island resilience and to enable a more strategic, partnership approach to improving the economic, social, and cultural development of islands in relation to transport.

Members

• Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands
• Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport
• Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
• Cllr Paul Steele, Leader, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
• Malcolm Burr, Chief Executive, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
• Cllr Heather Woodbridge, Leader, Orkney Islands Council
• Oliver Reid, Chief Executive, Orkney Islands Council
• Cllr Emma Macdonald, Leader, Shetland Islands Council
• Maggie Sandison, Chief Executive, Shetland Islands Council
• Cllr Alan Hill, Cabinet member for Communities and Islands, North Ayrshire Council
• Craig Hatton, Chief Executive, North Ayrshire Council
• Cllr Raymond Bremner, Leader, Highland Council
• Derek Brown, Chief Executive, Highland Council
• Cllr Jim Lynch, Leader, Argyll and Bute Council
• Pippa Milne, Chief Executive, Argyll and Bute Council

Publications