Justice 2 Committee, 06 Feb 2002
Meeting date: Wednesday, February 6, 2002
Official Report
285KB pdf
Petition
National Trust for Scotland (Glencoe) (PE227)
Item 3 on our agenda is consideration of a petition. The clerks have provided members with a note on the petition—paper J2/02/5/2.
The petition is quite old. I remember it coming before the Public Petitions Committee when I was a member of that committee and I am disappointed that it has not been dealt with before now. The petition has been referred to us because it may be connected with the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. It has already been considered by the Justice 1 Committee, the Transport and the Environment Committee and the Rural Development Committee. Do members want to consider any of the specific issues that the petition raises or do they want simply to note it?
It does not seem to me to be within the remit of the Justice 2 Committee to investigate the National Trust for Scotland as a landowner or the particular case to which the petition refers, which concerns planning law and the fact that local people had numerous objections to developments proposed in Glencoe. However, I invite members to make comments if they so wish.
The Rural Development Committee noted that it would be able to take forward the issues raised in the petition in the context of other business. Specifically, the committee has plans to study sustainability. There will be more than adequate opportunities for the issues that are raised in the petition to be dealt with in that context.
The safest way of dealing with the matter is to leave it with the Rural Development Committee. The Justice 2 Committee does not have much input to make into the process.
Do members agree to note the petition?
Members indicated agreement.