Seòmar agus comataidhean

As no one else wants to come in, I draw to a close what has been a rich evidence-taking session. You have given us plenty of directions to look in and things to be aware of, which will be tremendously helpful in giving everyone on the committee themes that we might discuss with the minister next week.

As agreed at the start of the meeting, the next item will be taken in private. I close the public part of the meeting.

Yes, we can.

I can always remind you.

Clearly, we face a very challenging situation. Does anyone else want to come in on the challenges?

Good morning and welcome to the 14th meeting in 2022 of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. I ask all members and witnesses to ensure that their mobile phones are on silent and that all other notifications are turned off during the meeting.

Agenda item 1 is to decide whether to take item 3 in private. Do members agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you for that data. It is reassuring to hear the raft of requirements.

Peter Drummond and Laura Hughes have indicated that they want to come in.

One thing that comes to my attention when I travel in the islands is the need for affordable housing. As we have said many times, there are so many aspects to that issue. I encounter older people who live in homes that are too big for them and who want to downsize but do not want to leave their communities.

Through the national planning framework 4, we will have housing allocation across Scotland, including the islands. During NPF4 evidence sessions, we have discussed the idea of clustered housing or clachan housing. I get a sense that older people want to downsize but do not want to leave their communities and feel isolated. Is there an opportunity to consider a different model for housing? To pick up the point that Philip Raines made about place making, clustered housing with shared community facilities could push us in a good direction and free up bigger housing for younger people who might want to start families to move in.

What are your thoughts on that, cabinet secretary?

Thanks very much for your thoughts on that.

Are the islands councils fully aware of it? Given how busy they are in their day-to-day work, have they fully taken on board that they have been given that power?

I will move on to the theme of addressing population decline. It is encouraging to hear about measures such as repopulation zones, which aim to increase island populations, but I am aware that not all population growth is equal, given that growth in older demographics can inflate house prices and crowd out young people. If the Government rolls out repopulation zones, will it allow for a nuanced approach such as focusing efforts on increasing the population among 18 to 40-year-olds and taking measures in line with achieving that more specific goal?