Chamber
Plenary, 26 Oct 2006
26 Oct 2006 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Coastal and Marine National Parks
In the lead-up to the 2003 elections, I pledged that, if successfully elected, I would campaign for Scotland's third national park to be the Galloway national park. I was successfully elected and I campaigned for a national park but, rather disappointingly, I found considerable coolness toward the proposal among local agencies, which should have been much more alive to the possibilities of a national park. I hold firmly to my belief that a strong case can be made for such a park. I was delighted when the recently launched strategy for the Galloway forest park was described as a work in progress. I remain convinced, and I suggested at that launch, that the progress that was mentioned should have one aim in mind and one alone: to make progress toward a Galloway national park.
The area fulfils the criteria for a national park and I have no doubt that the creation of such a park would provide the much sought-after incentive for northbound travellers on the M74 to turn left at Gretna and discover and enjoy the mystical beauty of Dumfries and Galloway. I am grateful for the debate if for no other reason than that it allows me to correct the statement that I made a few months ago in the Parliament that travellers should turn left at Carlisle to visit the south-west of Scotland. That was a slight slip of the tongue, but at least travellers who do so are led to a national park, albeit one in Cumbria. I hold firmly to my ambition that turning left at Gretna will lead to a similarly recognised designated area: a Galloway national park.
What could be better than the eventual linking of Scotland's third national park in Galloway to its first marine national park? Dr Elaine Murray and I have many political differences, but I am sure that we would agree that the Solway firth, which forms the southern boundary of our two constituencies, would be a completely worthy choice and thoroughly deserves to be the front-runner in what is in effect a competition to become Scotland's first marine national park. We would also agree that no other area is more deserving of the potential benefits to which the minister referred in his opening speech.
I welcomed the Executive's plans to consult those concerned and to take on board local people's views in assessing the suitability of the proposals. However, I am sorry to say that the most public part of the exercise got off to a singularly inauspicious start, at least in Dumfries and Galloway. Is it really acceptable that only three days' notice was given publicly that the marine parks consultation bus was to spend one day in Kirkcudbright? Dumfries and Galloway is more than 100 miles from east to west, but the bus spent only one day in Kirkcudbright, at disappointingly short notice. Is it really acceptable that the Drummore Harbour Trust, which is surely a statutory consultee in such exercises, was sent the relevant papers a week after the bus's appearance in Kirkcudbright, and only after the trust had inquired why it had not been included? Is it really acceptable that the Executive has given the impression that the consultation exercise, at least in relation to the Solway firth, was pretty much an afterthought and that minimal appearance would suffice in consulting those who are most immediately involved?
I cannot and do not believe for one minute that the minister wanted that to be the case, but that is the distinct impression that has been created locally. I hope that the minister, or the deputy minister, will address that matter in summing up the debate. In particular, I hope that ministers will outline what further steps the Executive will take to ensure that all interested parties, not just those who happened to be free and in Kirkcudbright on a recent Saturday, are engaged meaningfully in the exercise to determine which area receives the historic designation.
Unlike the Scottish National Party, which will no doubt spend much of the coming six months telling my constituents that their salvation lies in voting SNP, I want my constituents to benefit from the designation of a marine national park. Most of all, I want to ensure that my constituents' views get a fair hearing in the process. I regret to say that the impression that has been created thus far is that that may not be the case. I look forward to the minister, or the deputy minister, convincing me that I am wrong. I support my colleague Ted Brocklebank's amendment.
The area fulfils the criteria for a national park and I have no doubt that the creation of such a park would provide the much sought-after incentive for northbound travellers on the M74 to turn left at Gretna and discover and enjoy the mystical beauty of Dumfries and Galloway. I am grateful for the debate if for no other reason than that it allows me to correct the statement that I made a few months ago in the Parliament that travellers should turn left at Carlisle to visit the south-west of Scotland. That was a slight slip of the tongue, but at least travellers who do so are led to a national park, albeit one in Cumbria. I hold firmly to my ambition that turning left at Gretna will lead to a similarly recognised designated area: a Galloway national park.
What could be better than the eventual linking of Scotland's third national park in Galloway to its first marine national park? Dr Elaine Murray and I have many political differences, but I am sure that we would agree that the Solway firth, which forms the southern boundary of our two constituencies, would be a completely worthy choice and thoroughly deserves to be the front-runner in what is in effect a competition to become Scotland's first marine national park. We would also agree that no other area is more deserving of the potential benefits to which the minister referred in his opening speech.
I welcomed the Executive's plans to consult those concerned and to take on board local people's views in assessing the suitability of the proposals. However, I am sorry to say that the most public part of the exercise got off to a singularly inauspicious start, at least in Dumfries and Galloway. Is it really acceptable that only three days' notice was given publicly that the marine parks consultation bus was to spend one day in Kirkcudbright? Dumfries and Galloway is more than 100 miles from east to west, but the bus spent only one day in Kirkcudbright, at disappointingly short notice. Is it really acceptable that the Drummore Harbour Trust, which is surely a statutory consultee in such exercises, was sent the relevant papers a week after the bus's appearance in Kirkcudbright, and only after the trust had inquired why it had not been included? Is it really acceptable that the Executive has given the impression that the consultation exercise, at least in relation to the Solway firth, was pretty much an afterthought and that minimal appearance would suffice in consulting those who are most immediately involved?
I cannot and do not believe for one minute that the minister wanted that to be the case, but that is the distinct impression that has been created locally. I hope that the minister, or the deputy minister, will address that matter in summing up the debate. In particular, I hope that ministers will outline what further steps the Executive will take to ensure that all interested parties, not just those who happened to be free and in Kirkcudbright on a recent Saturday, are engaged meaningfully in the exercise to determine which area receives the historic designation.
Unlike the Scottish National Party, which will no doubt spend much of the coming six months telling my constituents that their salvation lies in voting SNP, I want my constituents to benefit from the designation of a marine national park. Most of all, I want to ensure that my constituents' views get a fair hearing in the process. I regret to say that the impression that has been created thus far is that that may not be the case. I look forward to the minister, or the deputy minister, convincing me that I am wrong. I support my colleague Ted Brocklebank's amendment.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5008, in the name of Ross Finnie, on coastal and marine national parks.
The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie):
LD
I am pleased that this debate on proposals that might lead to the establishment of Scotland's first coastal and marine national park is taking place. The Exe...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP):
SNP
Does not a more basic question exist: should a park be created at all? In Scottish Field, the minister says:"We can't give residents an absolute veto on a na...
Ross Finnie:
LD
I gave the interview and I know the extent of what I said in response to a long question. The issue was whether the establishment of a national park was excl...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
Would there be a referendum?
Ross Finnie:
LD
Fergus Ewing and I are keen on consultation, but he wrote to me about the fact that he wanted a consultation on where the consultation should take place. Now...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
Will the minister take an intervention?
Ross Finnie:
LD
No. I must make a little progress. I will take an intervention later.The increased profile of a national park area would be beneficial for its economy, parti...
Mr McGrigor:
Con
I agree with what the minister has said about our marvellous marine and coastal environment, but does he agree that there is such an environment because of, ...
Ross Finnie:
LD
The member is not talking about the purpose of a national park. Local communities will not necessarily create a structure that will allow increased access fo...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
How?
Ross Finnie:
LD
By giving it the status and standing that the SNP was perfectly prepared to give to the terrestrial parks. Remember that John Swinney, who has left the chamb...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
Will the minister take an intervention?
Ross Finnie:
LD
Yes, indeed, and I am sure that it will be duller than usual.
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
In order to confound the minister's expectations of me, I ask whether it would not be better to spend the £4 million or £5 million per year that it might cos...
Ross Finnie:
LD
I have just thought up a slogan for the SNP: "Come to Scotland. Live in Scotland. But we don't want national parks. They would tell us how good Scotland is a...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
What is the minister's answer?
Ross Finnie:
LD
The SNP is always telling us to look beyond Scotland. National parks are recognised internationally as making a major contribution in areas—Interruption. The...
Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
I heard what the minister said about planning. Under the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency...
Ross Finnie:
LD
Let us be clear about this: managing a river basin from the birth of the river or burn as it makes its way through very different land uses is not going to b...
Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
The marine environment is moving up the political agenda. The European Union is consulting on its maritime strategy, the United Kingdom Government is prepari...
Ross Finnie:
LD
I am interested in what the member is saying. I am also interested in the fact that in his amendment he prays in aid statistics provided by Scottish Environm...
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
I will come to that very point. I plan to refer to Scottish Environment LINK. The whole point of the debate, and the point that the SNP is trying to get acro...
Ross Finnie:
LD
If the logic of that argument is correct, the SNP would not have supported the creation of terrestrial parks, but it did: it supported the National Parks (Sc...
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
It is not, because coastal and marine national parks are different from terrestrial ones. Marine management in Scotland is currently a complete dog's breakfa...
Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
Conservatives broadly support the concept of establishing a coastal and marine national park. Scotland has some of the most productive and diverse inshore wa...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
Is not the question, how does one assess people's views unless they are asked for them? Do the Conservatives believe that there is a strong case for a local ...
Mr Brocklebank:
Con
As Fergus Ewing is aware, an exercise to seek the views of people in those areas around the coast that are possible sites for a park has already been carried...
Richard Lochhead:
SNP
The Conservatives are always criticising bureaucracy. Do they not feel that we should sort out the existing bureaucracy that applies to Scotland's seas befor...
Mr Brocklebank:
Con
I will come to bureaucracy in a minute. However, I have to say that SNP members show huge poverty of ambition. They cannot see the potential of these develop...