Isles of Scilly: Transport

Mike Martin Excerpts

Tuesday 17th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Andrew George (St Ives) (LD)]

I am pleased to have secured this debate, and I am sure the Minister is delighted that we have reached the Adjournment at a point when we have ample time to explore the important issues of transport to and between the Isles of Scilly.

There is, frankly, a shocking injustice. Scillonian residents have been treated as second-class citizens when it comes to affordable transport, especially when compared to everywhere else in the United Kingdom. I hope the Minister will acknowledge that point, take it on board and consider working with me, the council of the Isles of Scilly and the residents to ensure islanders receive parity on public transport, which other parts of the country take for granted. Some places struggle with transport, particularly in rural areas, but the circumstances are very different in the Isles of Scilly.

This is not the first time I have secured a debate of this kind. For example, I raised these issues in Westminster Hall on 8 January 2002—column 158, to help the Hansard Reporters—and on 15 January 2003, and on many other occasions since. I raised these issues outside the House even during my nine sabbatical years away because of the injustice. Some improvements have been made, but services have also gone backwards. One example comes from one of my constituents on one of the four off-islands. There are four inhabited off-islands in the Isles of Scilly—St Agnes, Bryher, Tresco and St Martin’s—and one main island, St Mary’s. To get over to the main island of St Mary’s, where all the services operate—the hospital, other medical services and the council—residents from the off-islands need to get across waters that are sometimes very tempestuous. This constituent says:

“I broke my wrist…recently, and because there was no bone showing through my arm I had to wait 5 days to see medical personnel, have it x-rayed and put in plaster. I have had a medical procedure which involved 2 daily visits”

from this off-island

“to St Marys Health Centre but fortunately it was summer. If this was in the winter, I would had to have paid £240.00 just for the boating”

to and fro each time—it is a £120 return trip—as residents have no alternative but to book what are known as “specials” to attend an X-ray appointment or medical appointment or to visit an elderly resident, friend or family member in St Mary’s hospital.

“This again is £120.00 return. There has also been a cut back of transport funding for the under-five nursery services and clubs like the Brownies and so the list goes on and on, of all the problems that the residents of St Martins”—

where this constituent lives—

“are facing due to the lack of affordable boating.”

[Mike Martin (Tunbridge Wells) (LD)]

My hon. Friend is making a powerful case for his constituents. Does he agree that this is a problem not just for the Isles of Scilly, but for the Isle of Wight and the Western Isles? We are an archipelago. Those who live on the outer islands suffer from this inequity; they are as British as us, but they do not enjoy the same connectivity.