Chamber and committees

I am launching today, a Report by the Tripartite Working Group "Wild and Farmed Salmonids - Ensuring a Better Future" produced jointly by the Scottish Executive, representatives from the salmonid farming and wild salmonids fisheries.

The Report, incorporating a Concordat signed by all parties, addresses issues at the interface between wild salmonid and aquaculture interests and promotes a framework for solving local management problems at a local level. I very much welcome the Concordat and the endorsement it provides for issues to be addressed through local Area Management Agreements, two of which are already in place. This will require greater openness, development of trust and mutual support. I firmly believe that this is the best way forward for all concerned.

Copies of the Concordat and Report have been placed in SPICe.

Generally, investment in information and communication technology is a matter for the private sector in line with regulatory and commercial considerations. However, the Special Transitional Programme for the Highlands & Islands will include provision for limited support to ICT development, including infrastructure in remote areas, where the needs of the area cannot be met by commercial interests alone.

I attended the Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg on 16 June as part of the UK team.

The council covered a number of issues relevant to the Scottish fishing industry. On the agenda at the UK's request was an item about the haddock fishery to the west of Rockall. I raised this matter in the council and emphasised the risk to stocks as a result of the recent activities by Russian vessels in international waters. I also stressed the need to bring this fishery under proper regulation by the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). It was extremely encouraging to get strong support for this initiative from a number of other member states and a commitment from the Commission to raise this issue in NEAFC.

The council also discussed the Commission's report on fleet capacity (the Multi-Annual Guidance Programmes - MAGP). The UK team made it clear that the recommendations contained in the report were unacceptable and outlined, in particular, the need for activity controls to remain an option for managing the fishing effort of the Scottish pelagic fleet.

The council agreed new arrangements for the collection of biological and economic data. It also discussed reports about Regional Fisheries Organisations, the integration of environmental considerations into the Common Fisheries Policy, Regional Workshops, the EC's fisheries agreement with Morocco, the external aspects of the CFP, a review of the total allowable catch for anchovies and concerns about by-catch of small cetaceans.

I have made a more detailed written report to the Rural Affairs Committee, a copy of which will be placed in the Parliament's Information Centre.

I am delighted to announce that I have appointed Professor Peter Timms and Mr John Alex MacPherson to the Board of Caledonian MacBrayne Limited as non-executive directors from 1 July. The company faces many challenges and I am confident that they will make a positive contribution to the future direction of the company. Both of the new appointees live in areas served by the CalMac network and their knowledge and experience will enable them to bring a fresh perspective to the board. In making these appointments I have increased the number of non-executive directors on the board from six to seven. I believe this is appropriate in the light of the challenges the company faces in relation to the need to change the arrangements for delivering ferry services to comply with EU law. I believe the board is well equipped to provide this strategic direction which will enable the company to cope with this period of change successfully.

In addition, two current board members - Mr Lex Gold and Mr Scott Grier - have been re-appointed for a further three years with effect from 1 April 2000.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the respective chairmen to reply to the member. Copies of their replies will be placed in SPICe.

We are keen to encourage crofter forestry and hope that landlords and crofters can work together on forestry plans affecting crofting land. Woodland Grant Scheme payments are not available to landlords who resume crofting land against the wishes of the crofters and I have asked the Forestry Commission to make this clear to applicants. A similar rule applies to landlords who terminate agricultural tenancies by means of a contested notice to quit.

Forest Enterprise manages the Scottish Executive's 650,000 hectare forest estate in Scotland. It has the same responsibility in England and Wales. As an executive agency, Forest Enterprise is subject to review every five years - part of the process of continuous improvement of Government services promised in the Modernising Government White Paper of March 1999. Forest Enterprise was established as an executive agency on 1 April 1996 and its review has now started. Stage 1 is concerned with getting the organisation right for Scotland as well as for the rest of Britain, and its conclusions will be reported to me and the Forestry Ministers for England and Wales in July. Stage 2, which is concerned with improving the agency's performance, will be completed in December.

The review will include wide-ranging consultation with Forest Enterprise's customers, visitors and other interested parties, who are invited to contact the Secretary to the Forestry Commissioners, at 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 7AT or to visit the Forestry Commission website at www.forestry.gov.uk/fereview.

We will continue active support for the crofting way of life by giving crofting communities increased opportunity to manage their own sustainable development through the crofting community right to buy and by modernising crofting law.We will continue to administer the wide range of measures available to crofting communities in ways which aim to ensure that the developments which we support within these communities are sustainable.

The first meeting of the refocused Convention of the Highlands and Islands was held on Monday 27 March in the Highland Council's headquarters, Inverness. The Convention, which comprised Scottish Ministers, local authorities, Local Enterprise Companies, Area Tourist Boards and other agencies and institutions, proved a good and positive forum for productive discussion on a range of matters of importance to the Highlands and Islands.Minutes of the meeting will be available on request from the Convention Secretariat in Meridian Court, Glasgow.

The recent review identified the need for modernising the Commission's constitutional arrangements, to meet new standards of public accountability, by converting the Commission into a modern NDPB or into an Agency. In the light of the balance of views expressed in the responses received, and following discussions with the Crofters Commission, I have concluded that the NDPB model is the appropriate one. When we have the opportunity we shall legislate to recast the Crofters Commission with a modernised Board structure and its own staff and budget. There will be scope for existing staff to opt to keep their current civil service status and to remain in post on a secondment basis. These are technical changes that will not change the essential character of the Commission.

The other issue was whether the Commission's development functions should be integrated with other support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The consultation process has demonstrated a strong preference for maintaining separate specialist support for crofters, and accordingly I am content that these functions stay with the Commission. At the same time, however, I expect the Commission and HIE to work increasingly closely together.