Rural Development Committee, 26 Mar 2002

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 26, 2002

Official Report 153KB pdf

---

Petition

---

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs <br />National Park (PE471)

Item 2 is petition PE471 from Dereck Fowles. Members will have received a cover note from the clerks, which sets out the background to the petition. I draw members' attention to the Public Petitions Committee's referral, which notes the funding increase that the Scottish Executive announced for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park and recommends that the committee raises the matter with the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development. I suggest that the committee agrees to note the petition and to ask funding questions when we hear from the deputy minister under item 3.

I am sure that members know that when the petition was submitted, the suggested level of funding was considerably less than the amount that Scottish Natural Heritage had proposed. The minister has since increased that figure to a more comparable level. Unless members have comments, I suggest that we simply note the petition.

I mention for the record that I may have an interest to declare in relation to this and the next item, as my first matrimonial home was in Drymen, which I believe is within the boundaries of the national park. I do not think that that is an interest, but I mention it in case it is.

Are members content to note Mr Fowles's petition and move on?

Members indicated agreement.