Response 710334627

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Questions

1. What are your initial thoughts on the proposed criteria of the Islands Bond?

Why only young people and families? Other people have lots to offer and are being excluded on the basis of age (a protected charectaristic). Discriminatory criteria.

2. Which island location do you currently live in? (If applicable)

Please select one item
Argyll Islands
Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes
Lewis and Harris
Orkney Mainland
Orkney Outer Isles
Shetland Mainland
Shetland Outer Isles
Skye and the Small Isles
Uist and Barra
I do not live in an island community

5. What do you think should be the priority focus for the Islands Bond?

Please select one item
Population Growth (encouraging migration to islands)
Population Retention (supporting existing community to remain)
Both
Other (Please specify below)
Should not be restricted to young people and families, totally unfair, both from a migration to and a depopulation standpoint.

6. What additional capital investment through the Islands Bond would most influence people's decision to stay or move to our Islands?

Affordable housing, holiday homes are pricing locals and those who want to move to the islands out of the market.

7. Do you agree that there would be a need for an advisory service to support those relocating to island communities?

Please select one item
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

8. In your opinion, what should be the main purpose and role of an advisory service to support those relocating to island communities?

Local services information, business advice for those wishing to start a business.

9. Who should be involved in the delivery of an advisory service to support those relocating to island communities?

Local businesses, council officials.

10. If you are an individual with lived experience of, or an organisation with experience of, challenges related to protected characteristics, how positive do you think the impact of the Islands Bond may be?

Please select one item
Very Positive
Positive
Neither Positive nor Negative
Negative
Very Negative
Please set out your reasons
Because you are excluding people on the basis of age.

11. Beyond those outlined in the Consultation Paper, what other methods of measuring the progress and impact of the Islands Bond might we adopt?

Unsure

12. Any other comments on the Islands Bond

While a good idea in theory, I'm not convinced in practice. Is there a minimum stay on the island? What's to stop anyone staying for a year or two then leaving? Starting a business then running it remotely from the mainland? As stated previously, young people and families (presumably young families) is discriminatory as a criteria for eligibility. Do you include some islands and exclude others? How do you overcome the problems absentee holiday home owners present to the islands as this is a major contributor to de population not only on the islands but in a large number of Scottish towns and villages.

About you

16. Are you responding as an individual or an organisation?

Please select one item
(Required)
Individual
Organisation