Dave Thompson MSP

It is welcome news that the Land Reform Bill will be brought before the Scottish Parliament before the end of its current term and as part of that fantastic step forward I am delighted that the Scottish Land Fund, which helps communities to buy land, is to be extended until 2020.

This comes around the same time as the Community Empowerment Bill makes its way into Parliament. This bill has local empowerment at its heart, as it looks to facilitate community participation and engagement, which I wholeheartedly support.

Both these bills will be beneficial to Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch and Scotland in the long run as they will help to ensure our land is used in the best interests of the public and to the benefit of the people.

Also, plans for more powers for Scotland’s islands communities have recently been announced.   Islands and the coastal communities in my constituency have massive potential in food and drink, renewable energy and tourism - to name but three.

Therefore, it is tremendous that they are to be given the tools they need to tap into that potential. I am committed to more autonomy for the Islands so this is very exciting news.

As part of the new prospectus on the Islands, there will be a Bill for an Islands Act following a Yes vote in September, which will include a Minister for Island Communities. This will place a duty on the Scottish Government and other public bodies to ‘island-proof’ their functions. Further still a SNP Government in an independent Scotland will transfer the Crown Estate properties, land and sea rights to the islands so the management and revenue streams associated will benefit the local Island communities not the National Exchequer.

As part of a recent meeting with other members of the Rural Affairs Climate Change and Environment Committee (RACCEC), I took the opportunity to put forward the suggestion that devolution of Crown Estate administration should be extended right down to local communities.

I also took the chance at a recent Community Land Scotland meeting to make this proposal to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Paul Wheelhouse).

This is important because development in this area will enhance community decision making over what a community owns. The logic being that vibrant communities result from those communities being engaged in the decision making which affects them.

In agreement with the Land Reform Group, I acknowledge that land is a finite resource and as such, it should be used in the public interest and for the common good.

In Parliament in early June I asked the Cabinet Secretary to comment on the continuing use of GP locums in the Arisaig and Mallaig group practice. I was pleased that he acknowledged the issue, that he reported some progress had been made with one appointment, and he has acted decisively to change and expand on the recruitment method for further GPs. This, I hope, will help to provide the additional doctors needed. This new approach will involve close collaboration with NHS Highland and will ultimately save money by replacing expensive locums.

Further good news is that the telehealth pilot is going well and should soon be extended. I am sure we all welcome this success and hope it will become an integral and successful part of rural healthcare across Scotland.

With less than 100 days to go until Scotland’s historic date with destiny, I am pleased to learn that canvassing is going well around the constituency and that we are amassing more volunteers everyday that are becoming increasingly prepared to take our hopeful message to their family and friends.

It is clear more folk are listening to our positive message and as a result we are getting more and more positivity on the door steps, with lots of people indicating they will be voting yes in the referendum and in doing so they will be helping to unlock Scotland’s potential!

Notes:

The full report from the RACCEC can be found here:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=9231&mode=pdf

The Report from the Land Reform Group, “The Land of Scotland and the Common Good” can be found at the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0045/00451083.pdf

The Scottish Government has said that it will bring forward a Land Reform Bill before the end of the current term of the Scottish Parliament.

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill can be found here:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Bills/Community%20Empowerment%20(Scotland)%20Bill/b52s4-introd.pdf

The Scottish Government announcement on Island Empowerment can be found here:

http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/More-powers-for-Scotland-s-islands-dbe.aspx

Dave’s question to the Scottish Government on the update of the progress of the models for GP practices in rural areas can be found at the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx?SearchType=Advance&ReferenceNumbers=S4O-03319&ResultsPerPage=10