Committee
Transport and the Environment Committee, 20 Nov 2002
20 Nov 2002 · S1 · Transport and the Environment Committee
Item of business
Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Speaker
Watch on SPTV
Section 1 agreed to.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Lab
I welcome back to the committee the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Allan Wilson and several officials from the Scottish Executive.Mem...
Section 1—General purpose of Part 1
The Convener:
Lab
Amendment 108, in the name of Nora Radcliffe, is in a group on its own.
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD):
LD
In a sense, we are starting where we left off. At the end of our last meeting, I argued the case for the establishment of a benchmark against which the effec...
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Allan Wilson):
Lab
There is an element of groundhog day to this. I reassure Nora Radcliffe that preventing the deterioration of our water bodies is a key part of the bill, and ...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
With due respect, I refute some of the minister's arguments. The whole point about the water directive was that it gave member states flexibility. That way o...
Amendment 108, by agreement, withdrawn.
Section 1 agreed to.
Section 2—The general duties
The Convener:
Lab
Amendment 24, in the name of Des McNulty, is grouped with amendments 56, 84, 27, 30 and 57.
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab):
Lab
I spoke on issues relating to amendment 24 last week, so in recognition that we do not want to spend a lot of time in groundhog day, I will not repeat every ...
The Convener:
Lab
Fiona McLeod has not yet arrived, so I invite Bruce Crawford to speak on amendment 84.
Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
Fiona's train has been held up. I shall speak on her behalf.Des McNulty said that amendment 56 was a probing amendment to see whether the minister would be p...
Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
The key words in amendment 27 are "active involvement". I concede that the bill includes a provision on consultation, which will bind SEPA to take account of...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
Green
With amendment 30, I want to strengthen section 2(5) of the bill, which states:"Without prejudice to subsections (1) to (4), the Scottish Ministers and every...
Nora Radcliffe:
LD
I support Des McNulty's amendment 24, because the three-legged stool approach to sustainable development—that there are three elements that should each be gi...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
Many issues have been raised and I will try to work through them in a way that ensures that I take people with me.Amendment 24 asks us to insert a new paragr...
The Convener:
Lab
I thank the minister for his comprehensive response. The group contains a number of amendments. Because of that, I allowed the minister the opportunity of re...
Des McNulty:
Lab
I take on board the commitments that the minister made, in particular his important commitment to promote a stage 3 amendment that would have the effect of i...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
Yes, I would be happy to do that.
Des McNulty:
Lab
On the basis of the minister's commitment, I am content to seek the committee's agreement to withdraw amendment 24.When I spoke to amendment 56, I indicated ...
The Convener:
Lab
Given that Des McNulty has put a question to the minister, I am prepared to allow the minister to respond to that.
Allan Wilson:
Lab
As I indicated earlier, wetlands are included in the designation. Des McNulty asked a specific question about the potential costs of amendment 57. We are con...
Des McNulty:
Lab
I understand from considerations within the European Union that there is likely to be a revision of the water directive, which will explicitly expand the req...
The Convener:
Lab
You can address that point to the minister, but I want to draw this discussion to a close, because we do not want a dialogue between the pair of you to conti...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
Michael Kellet discussed precisely that at a European meeting either last week or two weeks ago. The relationship between the Executive and the EU as far as ...
The Convener:
Lab
I ask Des McNulty to complete his remarks briefly.
Des McNulty:
Lab
I have completed them already.
The Convener:
Lab
I understand that you indicated earlier that you wished to withdraw amendment 24. Is that correct?
Des McNulty:
Lab
Yes.