Transport and the Environment Committee, 30 Jun 1999

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 30, 1999

Official Report 114KB pdf

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Interests

If members have their declarations of interests ready, I propose to call their names as they appear on my list.

My declaration of interests is as follows: I am a member of the Educational Institute of Scotland, Equity, Friends of the Earth Scotland, the Soil Association, the World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace, the Scottish Environmental Design Association, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Medical Campaign Against Torture, Reforesting Scotland, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Historic Scotland, the National Trust and the Episcopal Church. I am a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. It appears on the official list of interests that I own a small flat, which I rent out.

My only interest is that I am a sponsored member of the Co-operative party—the money went directly to the constituency party.

I am a member of the Transport and General Workers Union.

I have no interests to declare of which I am aware.

I am also a sponsored candidate from the Co-operative party. Although no money was paid directly to me during the election campaign, a constituency plan agreement will be set up with my party in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency. In the same way I received some support from the Transport and General Workers Union, of which I am a member, at the election. I am a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Although I have no financial interest in it, my family has a small business in the motor trade; for the purposes of the committee, that should be noted.

I am a member of Unison and have no other interests that are applicable to the committee.

I remain a partner in the law firm Erskine MacAskill and Company of 4 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh. The only matter of relevance to transport is that when I flew to Prague for Scotland v Czech Republic, I had to cancel my flight on the Monday, having organised tickets for 48, including myself. Czech Airlines kindly flew me out on the Wednesday and upgraded me to business class for no additional fee—I declare that perquisite for the public record.

Thank you, Kenny. Unfortunately Des is not here yet.

I have no interests to declare.

I do not have as many subscriptions as Mr Harper, but part of my farm is a site of special scientific interest and a national nature reserve, and I have a management agreement with Scottish Natural Heritage. My interests are on the environmental rather than the transport front.

As there is apparently great public interest in the holidays of the conveners and members of the Scottish Parliament, I am practising for mine by saying that I have nothing to declare.