Harbour Facilities (John o'Groats)

HC Deb 02 May 1973 vol 855 cc1233-4

4. Mr. Maclennan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to extend and improve the harbour facilities at John o'Groats, Caithness.

Mr. Younger

Responsibility for this harbour rests with Caithness County Council. I am aware of proposals which it is considering for improvements and my officials are to discuss these with the council at an early date.

Mr. Maclennan

Is not that a somewhat disingenuous reply, as the council has already on several occasions approached the Scottish Office for financial assistance and the Government have been unwilling to countenance the original schemes? Is not the Minister aware of the vital importance of the Pentland Firth to fishermen operating out of the John o'Groats area and the development of the tourist industry through the ss "Pen-talina" which is using the John o'Groats harbour and jetty? Will he take more urgent action than he has done in the past?

Mr. Younger

I know that there have been contacts with the county council on this subject for quite a time. As to the original scheme, it was explained that neither the level of the present fishing activity nor the prospects of significant development were such as to justify making grants available for the improvements proposed. We invited the council to produce further proposals. It is in the course of doing this and my officials are planning to meet the council on 16th May to discuss those proposals, which will be sympathetically considered.

Mr. Grimond

Is the Minister aware that the ss "Pentalina" has been a great success across the firth and that my constituency welcomes what has been suggested by the council in Caithness? I ask the Minister again to reconsider the matter because the improvement of John o'Groats harbour is a matter of great importance to the North.

Mr. Younger

I agree with that, but I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will agree that we have to look at proposals for harbour investment as a whole according to a system of priorities. Approval for such investment has not normally been given when it is for seasonal traffic, but I will look at the proposals of the Caithness County Council as sympathetically as I can.