MSPs representing Scotland’s island communities are calling for the Scottish Parliament to examine whether the Islands Act is actually delivering what it was created to achieve.

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur and Highlands and Islands MSP Kristopher Leask have written to the Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee seeking post legislative scrutiny of the Islands (Scotland) Act, with the cross party appeal also backed by other MSPs representing island communities.

The call comes as the legislation approaches its tenth anniversary and follows discussions with island stakeholders who have raised concerns that its original ambitions have not been realised.

At the heart of those concerns is island proofing, the principle that legislation and policy should take proper account of the particular circumstances facing Scotland’s islands.

The MSPs say island impact assessments are not being carried out consistently and can appear to have become a tick box exercise rather than something capable of producing meaningful changes to policy.

That matters because decisions designed for mainland Scotland can have very different consequences when applied to communities facing the realities of ferries, distance, smaller populations, limited services and higher costs.

Mr McArthur said:

“The Islands Act was a landmark piece of legislation that set out to make structural changes to how laws and policy are developed and implemented.

“The aim was to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach that has for too long failed to recognise and meet the circumstances and needs of island communities.

“Nearly a decade on, that ambition has not been realised.

“You would be hard-pressed to find many islanders who feel confident that ‘island-proofing’ is being carried out with any rigour or consistency.

“The upcoming anniversary provides a timely opportunity for the Scottish Parliament to take stock and identify where meaningful reform is needed.

“I hope that the Rural Affairs Committee will give serious consideration to this request and engage closely with island stakeholders, whose knowledge and expertise will be essential in informing any change.

“We all have a shared interest in making sure legislation passed by parliament does what it says on the tin.

“That is certainly true of the Islands Act but this is unlikely to happen without greater use of post legislative scrutiny.”

Mr Leask said:

“Islanders know first hand the reality of delivering and accessing services, doing business, and working in an island setting.

“It’s only right that ten years on parliament re considers whether the Islands Act has delivered a policy environment which bakes in this consideration.

“I’ve seen time and time again examples of initiatives or funding mechanisms that simply don’t recognise the additional challenges and different contacts we face.

“I’m delighted to be coming together with Liam and a broad group of other MSP’s from across the Highlands and Islands encouraging parliament to take up this issue.”

The request now puts the question before Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee as the anniversary of the legislation approaches.

Almost ten years after the Islands Act sought to put island circumstances closer to the heart of Scottish decision making, its effectiveness and whether island proofing is genuinely influencing policy could now be due a closer look.