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South Arran Marine Conservation Order 2014 (SSI 2014/260)
Good morning and welcome to the 26th meeting this year of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee. I remind everybody—including people in the public gallery—that mobile phones and other electronic devices should be switched off because they can interfere with the sound system. Witnesses and committee members may use tablets to access meeting papers and so on.
Agenda item 1 is subordinate legislation. The committee is asked to consider the South Arran Marine Conservation Order 2014. Members should note that no motion to annul has been received in relation to the instrument. I refer members to the clerk’s paper and ask whether there are any comments about the subordinate legislation.
The subject of marine protected areas is extremely sensitive, and one of the policy objectives of the order has been hastened in order to try to curb one fishing vessel that has broken the voluntary agreement not to trawl in the maerl beds on that fishing ground. That is why the order will take effect immediately rather than after the usual 28 days. We understand why that has happened, and I put on record that we are glad about the vigilance with regard to maerl beds given the difficulties in policing them. We will be interested to see how they recover in due course.
We do not usually worry about these things, but the advantage of using negative procedure for such instruments is that they can be introduced immediately. We sometimes feel that it is important to use affirmative procedure because it gives us more time to scrutinise legislation, but there are times when we do not need more time but just need to get on with it.
If there are no other comments from members, are we agreed that we do not wish to make any recommendations in relation to the order?
Members indicated agreement.
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