Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Official Report 581KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Town and Country Planning (Marine Fish Farming) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (SSI 2013/277)

Item 2 is consideration of the Town and Country Planning (Marine Fish Farming) (Scotland) Regulations 2013, which is subject to negative procedure. Members should note that no motion to annul the regulations has been lodged. I refer members to paper 1.

I have not lodged a motion to annul, but I want to put down a marker about a concern that has been expressed to me about the transparency of the broader audit and review process.

As I understand it, only the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, Marine Scotland science and the relevant salmon fisheries board are consulted. Consultation can lead to the permission for a fish farm becoming permanent, so my concern is the lack of transparency. I would be keen on the consultation being more public.

I put down that marker, but I have not lodged a motion to annul because the concern does not relate specifically to the regulations.

It would be possible for us to write to the relevant minister to ask whether the process is due for review. If the committee agrees, we could do that in order to have a dialogue about the transparency.

Do we agree to make no recommendations on the regulations?

Members indicated agreement.