Backbench Business Committee
Tuesday 27th October 2026
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16:15
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
And also for businesses too. And it's definitely the the ability to connect with both the mainland and with other islands is very important for the island being described to us as intolerable limitations on the lives of people in the islands live. And there's. But ferries have proven to be difficult in recent years. And even when ferries are working, when things are going well, when there is a huge factor and distance and geography are also difficult to. We think this is a very timely request for a debate because not only have we published our report, but because there are no specific proposals for fixed links in the Shetland Islands.
And just last month, Shetland secured £23 million from the Scottish Government to develop its plan for inter-island tunnels. So there is a real prospect that this major project will go ahead. So it seems a timely point for the House to take stock of these developments. Now transport is devolved to the Scottish Government. We know that. So there isn't a lot of opportunity to debate these issues and understandably so in the Commons. But they can't just be viewed as devolved in this context, because the ability to commute around the islands also affects our security. It affects industry and it affects the culture and the nature of the people of the islands, and also their ability to live the kind of life that the rest of us take for granted.
But it's also very important in terms of the economy. And to get to, for example, we had to travel quite some distance and over a number of hours by minibus, but we also had to go by three ferries. Now, if you've got a doctor's appointment, you want to go to the cinema with your family. Those are things that really need a lot of planning if you live in the islands. Our committee visited the Faroe Islands, where there are a number of tunnels connecting the islands in the Faroes, and they have seen a halt in depopulation.
They have seen the opportunity for people to be able to get to the main city and to services very easily, and their theory is that everyone in the Faroe Islands lives in the same city, and no one should have a commute of more than an hour to get to anything that they need. And it seems to us to be a really exciting and very, very interesting issue to take up. So our report is, I think, quite a good one. If I may say so myself. And I think it's one that really does bear having some further discussion amongst colleagues in the chamber.
And I think the level of support we've had for our request for a debate would indicate that there is cross-party support for that, too. So I'm very happy to answer any questions members might have.
And just last month, Shetland secured £23 million from the Scottish Government to develop its plan for inter-island tunnels. So there is a real prospect that this major project will go ahead. So it seems a timely point for the House to take stock of these developments. Now transport is devolved to the Scottish Government. We know that. So there isn't a lot of opportunity to debate these issues and understandably so in the Commons. But they can't just be viewed as devolved in this context, because the ability to commute around the islands also affects our security. It affects industry and it affects the culture and the nature of the people of the islands, and also their ability to live the kind of life that the rest of us take for granted.
But it's also very important in terms of the economy. And to get to, for example, we had to travel quite some distance and over a number of hours by minibus, but we also had to go by three ferries. Now, if you've got a doctor's appointment, you want to go to the cinema with your family. Those are things that really need a lot of planning if you live in the islands. Our committee visited the Faroe Islands, where there are a number of tunnels connecting the islands in the Faroes, and they have seen a halt in depopulation.
They have seen the opportunity for people to be able to get to the main city and to services very easily, and their theory is that everyone in the Faroe Islands lives in the same city, and no one should have a commute of more than an hour to get to anything that they need. And it seems to us to be a really exciting and very, very interesting issue to take up. So our report is, I think, quite a good one. If I may say so myself. And I think it's one that really does bear having some further discussion amongst colleagues in the chamber.
And I think the level of support we've had for our request for a debate would indicate that there is cross-party support for that, too. So I'm very happy to answer any questions members might have.
16:17
16:17
Will Stone
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Will Stone
16:18
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
My understanding is that it might not be until perhaps January or February. That would be absolutely fine, and we would prefer to have it in the chamber if possible, rather than in Westminster Hall, because we do think it it needs to be looked at quite critically by colleagues from across the chamber, and we think you can attract more people to do that if it's held in the chamber. But if it needs to be Westminster Hall, obviously we would understand. Thank you.
16:18
Bob Blackman
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Bob Blackman
Just what do you hope to achieve by the debate? Because the reason why I ask it is obviously, as you quite rightly pointed out, transport is a devolved matter. And so whilst we could have a strong debate, agree, as you say, cross-party, it will still be the Scottish Government will presumably that would have to decide what to do on this. Is that am I correct in that assumption?
16:18
Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Well, our feeling in the committee is that the UK government will have to be involved to the cost of a fixed link that is, a subsea tunnel is very high. It's immense. And so we think the UK government would have to be involved. But we think the UK government should want to be involved because of the impact on our security. If you consider getting to Saxavord where our space station is likely to be and where we will launch our satellites from. If you think about the government's economic rationale for doing a lot of the work it does and the Prime Minister's ambition to have opportunity in every postcode that shouldn't exempt the islands, the islands should be part of that agenda.
And also because we think that it's about more than just the transport to the islands or from the islands. It's also about the way of life in the islands, and it's about giving people opportunity, and it's about ensuring that people can live and work in the islands. And at the moment, if you want to have work done, say you're building a house, you might have to arrange for builders to come from another part of the country, perhaps, but you'd certainly have to arrange for supplies to come. And that might mean factoring in for the lorry driver a three day stay.
So the cost of everything is so much higher for people in the islands, and we don't think that's particularly fair. Also, if you want to give birth to a baby in some of the islands, you just can't. You've got to go to Glasgow for two weeks before your birth. Health board will give you £60 a night. I challenge anyone to find a hotel in Glasgow for £60 a night. You might have to have children looked after. Your partner would want to come, presumably. So life is just that bit harder and it doesn't need to be like that.
It seems to us. So we think the UK government would have to be involved in some way. And the model that was used in the Faroes was that the Faroe Islands government had loans that were underwritten by the Danish government. So that is one model. We're not prescriptive about that, but we do think it is something that bears wider debate.
And also because we think that it's about more than just the transport to the islands or from the islands. It's also about the way of life in the islands, and it's about giving people opportunity, and it's about ensuring that people can live and work in the islands. And at the moment, if you want to have work done, say you're building a house, you might have to arrange for builders to come from another part of the country, perhaps, but you'd certainly have to arrange for supplies to come. And that might mean factoring in for the lorry driver a three day stay.
So the cost of everything is so much higher for people in the islands, and we don't think that's particularly fair. Also, if you want to give birth to a baby in some of the islands, you just can't. You've got to go to Glasgow for two weeks before your birth. Health board will give you £60 a night. I challenge anyone to find a hotel in Glasgow for £60 a night. You might have to have children looked after. Your partner would want to come, presumably. So life is just that bit harder and it doesn't need to be like that.
It seems to us. So we think the UK government would have to be involved in some way. And the model that was used in the Faroes was that the Faroe Islands government had loans that were underwritten by the Danish government. So that is one model. We're not prescriptive about that, but we do think it is something that bears wider debate.
16:20
Bob Blackman
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Bob Blackman
Thank you very much. Any other questions? Well thank you Patricia. The clerks will be in touch with you in due course. Thank you. Taking the point that we'll express, if you are interested in in having a Westminster Hall debate on the subject, that doesn't prevent you from coming back and asking for a chamber debate in the future. Okay.
16:21