§ 2.46 p.m.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLLMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the recent increase in staff of the Highlands and Islands Development Board indicates an increase in their geographical area of operations in the near future.]
§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND (LORD HUGHES)No, my Lords. The extra staff are required to cope with the increasing work in the Board's existing area. Before giving further thought to extending the Board's area, my right honourable friend is awaiting the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLLMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask whether he is aware that many areas similar in type and on the periphery of the crofting counties are having great difficulty in attracting new development because of the attractions available from the Highlands and Islands Development Board? Does he not agree that there is a real danger that these areas may become what are known colloquially as "grey" areas?
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, if we had not been so aware, we should not have made provision in the Act for the possibility of contiguous areas being taken into the jurisdiction of the Board. One must accept that at some point there must be an end to it, otherwise eventually we would reach the English border.
THE EARL OF SELKIRKMy Lords, could the noble Lord say when the Royal Commission on Local Government is likely to report?
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, my latest information is that the Report is expected to be available in the early summer.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLLBut, my Lords, surely there are great differences between the Lowland belt of Scotland which is between the area of the Highlands and Islands Development Board and the English Border and what might loosely be described as the Highland areas of Banffshire, Perthshire and the Islands of Bute and Arran. It is these areas which at the moment are suffering as a result of the Board's activities.
§ LORD HUGHESMy Lords, there are many differences in Scotland. The similarity is that everybody wishes to have the best possible treatment. Therefore one can expect that they all want to get the benefits of the Board. I recollect that in the last major Scottish debate the noble Lord, Lord Lovat, rebuked me for regarding the North-Eastern area as being part of the Highlands.