Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 12
First Report - Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland
Published 24 Jan 2024
Paragraph 82
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Given the continued problems the Scottish Government have faced progressing improvements to vital roads and ferry infrastructure, the Scottish Government should work together with the UK Government and local authorities to improve the provision of transport across rural Scotland. The Scottish Government should look to coordinate the operators of these services more rigorously to ensure that timetables Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland 29 are more integrated and meet the needs of people in these communities. Transport investment turbocharges the UK’s net zero ambitions and economic growth, and we welcome the action taken by both Governments to tackle this. The Committee shares the anger and frustration of affected communities by the ongoing failure of the Scottish Government to deliver two lifeline ferries which are so far six years late and £250 million over budget. Both Governments should work together to ensure mistakes are not repeated and that timely and cost-effective delivery of vessels happens in the future.
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, First Report - Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland (HC 153), paragraph 82, 24 January 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 April 2024.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government notes the Committee's recommendations on defining rural Scotland and on transport, states that it "does not agree" with the call for a new review of cost of living support, and describes housing and transport policy as devolved matters for the Scottish Government.
- On the proposed review of winter 2022/23 support, the government says reviews by individual departments are already under way and "will address much of this recommendation", and it "does not agree" with conducting a new one.
- It says a further UK final impact and value-for-money evaluation of the energy support schemes is being commissioned to run until summer 2025, with findings to be shared with the Committee and published.
- On tailoring support to rural areas, the government says it "understands" the Committee's view that support could have been more tailored, but states that this "would have required these novel schemes to be adapted and further complicated" and delayed payments.
- On transport, the government "notes" the recommendations, says ferry, bus and active travel services are devolved, and says it will "where possible and appropriate" support the Scottish Government, including through the Islands Connectivity Task & Finish Group.