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Home arrow Holyrood news arrow News categories arrow Rural Affairs & Environment (HCL06) arrow Devolve marine powers say Scottish Government
Devolve marine powers say Scottish Government Print E-mail
Thursday, 03 April 2008

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has called on Westminster to devolve control of Scotland’s seas to the Scottish Parliament as the UK Government today launched its consultation on a Marine Bill. 

The Parliament has already backed the SNP Government’s demands that control of the environment 12 to 200 nautical miles off-shore be devolved. The fishing industry and conservationists also support the move. The UK Government consultation proposes that control remain reserved to Westminster.

“Anyone who cares about our precious marine environment will be delighted that Governments north and south of the border are preparing improved management of our seas. However, we are profoundly disappointed that the UK Government has not used the opportunity to accept the case for any new powers relating to devolved matters and offshore marine conservation measures to be the part of the Scottish Marine Bill rather than the UK's. We currently have a cluttered and complex marine management system in Scotland with far too many pieces of legislation regulating Scotland's waters.

“The Scottish Parliament has overwhelmingly united behind Scotland having more responsibilities over the marine environment.  Reclaiming control over Scotland's seas will help safeguard their future and the future of the coastal communities who depend on them. I have always made it clear that the Scottish Government believes there should be further devolution of powers over the marine environment between 12 and 200 nautical miles from Scotland's shore.”
One person has commented on this article.
1. Devolve marine powers say Scottish Government
Nikki MacLeod, Unregistered
Richard is absolutely right about this. Experience of dealing, or trying to deal with the Ship to Ship oil transfer problem in the Firth of Forth made it clear that the current legislative situation is a quagmire, made significantly worse by the absence a clear line of competence. This issue highlighted many problems with the current devolution settlement regarding environmental issues in general and marine issues in particular. It's my view that England, Wales Northern Ireland and Scotland should all have devolved and total responsibility for regulation of their own marine environments but with clear lines of communication for resolving areas of conflict and ensuring maximum protection for all of the UK's seas.

Nikki
Posted 2008-04-03 16:45:20
The author or administrator has closed this item for comments.
 
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