Pàrlamaid Dhùthchail na h-Alba

www.scottishruralparliament.org.ukinfo@scottishruralparliament.org.ukT @ScotRuralParlF Scottish Rural Parliament

What is the Rural Parliament?

• Stronger voice and influence in decision-making and policy

• Consider the challenges we face together and find innovative solutions

• Rural movement

• A meeting place and celebration of rural every two years

• Independent from, but supported and part-funded by Scottish Government – so we know they are listening

What isn’t the Rural Parliament?

• A formal part of government with decision-making powers

• Representative democracy

• Another opportunity for agencies to talk to each other – the Rural Parliament is for all people to participate in as equals

• Allied to any political party or viewpoint

Why do we need it?

• Rural Scotland is 95% of land and 20% of people

• Rural areas have many issues in common

• Policy tends to be ‘sectoral’ or geographical

• Rural is different to urban and sometimes needs to be thought about separately

• Evidence from other Rural Parliaments in Europe show the benefits to rural areas

Why do we need it?“If you had a gathering of Rural Scotland, you would have the Ministers and heads of agencies present. If we were all in one room with the rural communities, that could produce dividends.”

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment – May 2012

“The evidence… shows, unequivocally, the need to tailor national policy to fit rural and the diversity of rural. Not to separate rural, and not to privilege rural over urban, but to fit policy to what rural Scotland and life in rural Scotland is like.”

Dr. Sarah Skerratt, Scottish Rural College

Who manages it?• A company limited by guarantee and not for profit called Scottish

Rural Action

• Directors (volunteers) are from– Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations– Scottish Community Alliance– Scottish Islands Federation– Community Woodlands Association– Community Land Scotland– RP Adviser and European Rural Community Alliance– Scottish Youth Parliament– Rural businessesThey live all over rural Scotland - from Orkney to the Borders to the Western Isles.

• AGM on 6th March

What’s happened so far?• Survey – key themes

• Local events

• Twitter debates

• Attendance at events

• National meeting

Agenda• Empowerment – Democratic structures;

Community visioning; access to assets; support for communities

• Connectivity – Broadband/mobile; transport; to each other

• Sustainability – Key services; Employment; Better planning; Housing; Quality of life; Living sustainably

Five asks of Scottish Government• Commit to supporting rural communities and the Rural Parliament to

decide and deliver more of what we aspire to

• Work with us to agree where you are best placed to deliver our agenda and to develop a plan of action

• Focus on and involve us in agreeing tailored support arrangements to allow more community led actions

• Commit to co-creating a national conversation on community democratic power as a first step towards reformed local democratic arrangements

• Commit to agree with us a range of rural outcome measures and monitoring arrangements

What happens next?

• Strategic planning

• AGM on 6th March

• Debate in Scottish Parliament

• European Rural Parliament

• Stocktaking day

Pàrlamaid Dhùthchail na h-Alba

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www.scottishruralparliament.org.ukinfo@scottishruralparliament.org.ukT @ScotRuralParlF Scottish Rural Parliament