Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, 26 Nov 2008

Meeting date: Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Official Report 238KB pdf

---

Crown Estate

Agenda item 5 is correspondence from the Crown Estate commissioners.

We wrote to the commissioners in October to welcome the various steps that they have taken since they first engaged with the committee. I appreciate that our new members are coming to this subject late on. There is a background paper on the issue and some late correspondence was e-mailed to committee members, although I do not know whether all members will have picked it up, so hard copies are available. I understand that Highland Council will write to us again. I invite comments from members on what they have seen so far.

I raised the issue way back, along with other members, and I have followed the changes that have taken place. Ian Grant's response is an indication that the Crown Estate continues to be prepared to move on issues. The fact that Ian Grant and Michael Foxley agree about anything is rather surprising, but, in fairness, the Crown Estate is saying that it will be happy to accommodate some of the points that Mr Foxley has raised, and that is the sign of a changed approach. I am happy to note the correspondence.

Is everyone happy with that?

There still appears to be an issue with the harbour at Tarbert, but that is not for the committee to resolve.

There might be an opportunity to consider some of those specific points during our consideration of the marine bill

These are issues for individual members, rather than for the committee.

Yes.

I close the public part of the meeting. I was going to thank the public for their attendance, but I see that everyone has scarpered anyway.

That is very discerning of them.

Meeting suspended until 12:07 and thereafter continued in private until 12:43.