Humza Yousaf: All government policies must be ‘rural-proofed’
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Humza Yousaf has vowed to make sure that “every single policy that comes through the government” is rural-proofed, so the impacts on areas like the Highlands is well understood.
Speaking to the Courier at the SNP hustings in Inverness, Mr Yousaf said it is vital that those outwith towns and cities do not feel like an afterthought when it comes to government policy.
Asked if he would support a mainland Highland equivalent of the Islands Act, initially brought forward by former Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Gail Ross, he said he would.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “Because actually I think it’s fair to say some parts of rural Scotland are even more remote than our island communities. Wick in Caithness is a perfect example. Many a time when I travelled there the communities told me they felt more remote due to transport links in comparison to Orkney, Shetland or the Western Isles. So those issues undoubtedly affect them, so I think government policy must be rural-proofed as well as island-proofed.
“With every single policy that comes through the government we’ve got to understand what the impact is going to be in our rural communities because I’m afraid, I will be the first to admit this, there has been times we’ve brought legislation or regulation forward and we’ve had to adapt it because of the unintended consequence on our rural communities.
“But we want to make sure that they have confidence that their government in Edinburgh doesn’t think of them as any type of afterthought. I want to make sure that I can give them that confidence.”
Mr Yousaf also said dualling of the A9 and A96 must be completed.
“We need to show intent,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that the communities don’t feel in any way, shape, or form that we’re moving back from that commitment.
"So that for me is the dualling of the A9 and, indeed, our plans around the A96 particularly the Inverness to Nairn (section), including the bypass.
"These have to be priority capital infrastructure projects. The A9 and the commitment to dual it from Inverness to Perth, we stood on in our manifesto, and it is a commitment I won’t move one inch away from.”
