Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle depopulation in rural areas in Scotland.

The Government recognises the importance of tackling rural depopulation, and the wider challenges faced by rural and island communities in Scotland. We are committed to supporting these communities by boosting investment and opportunities.

For example, we are in the process of rolling out the Shared Rural Network (SRN) program (alongside EE, three, VMO2 and Vodafone), to improve mobile coverage and connectivity across the UK. Rural areas in Scotland will be among the biggest beneficiaries of this programme.

Furthermore, the UK Government is investing £50m covering the three island groups – Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles – through the Islands Growth Deal. The Deal supports the Islands’ ambitions for net zero, aquaculture and development of tourism and heritage projects. These investments exemplify the Government’s ongoing work towards growing the rural economy and improving infrastructure, which are critical to addressing rural depopulation.