Decision details

1. The Committee noted the contents of the report and agreed that the areas for further examination by the Rural Policy Centre should be as follows:

·         Examination of the distribution of new infrastructure funding in rural Scotland and what impact this investment is having on population growth or loss.

·         Examination of population loss in the West Coast of Scotland, the specific reasons for this and the necessary measures required to reverse this negative trend.

·         Examination of the particular economic and social issues affecting island and remote peninsular communities.

2. The Committee agreed that the  Rural Policy Centre should be advised of a  summary of the key findings of the Economic Summit and the Rural Parliament Meeting Findings from its recent meeting in Oban.