To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support communities to bring derelict buildings back into use as houses. (S6O-03678)

The Scottish Government has put in place an enabling policy framework, including national planning framework 4, which supports prioritising sites allocated for housing development and local development plans and encourages the reuse of brownfield, vacant and derelict land and empty buildings. Support is also available for viable projects through a variety of mechanisms, such as the rural and islands housing fund. Of course, it is for each local authority to determine its housing strategy and implementation with regard to the affordable housing supply programme.

Recently, I was in Raasay, discussing the massive impact of six new homes being built in the community. However, although the population is currently around 200, it is estimated that there are already enough homes in Raasay to support up to 500 people; they are just not being used as homes, and 46 per cent of them are empty.

Building new houses, especially in rural and island areas, can be cheaper than repairing and retrofitting, and lots of depopulating areas have significant waiting lists for housing and a significant presence on Airbnb. What more will be done to support rural and island housing providers to buy back, repair and retrofit existing homes?

I have had the pleasure of meeting representatives of the Raasay Development Trust twice online to discuss its carbon neutral island project, as well as its broader work. Officials continue to work closely with the trust.

I mentioned the rural and islands housing fund earlier, and the affordable housing plans in Raasay have been embedded, with an insistence that not just the housing situation but the energy efficiency of the current stock improves. I commend the trust on the work that it has been doing, and I am happy to discuss the issue further with Ms Roddick.