§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list the scientific papers and other research work that they or others have undertaken which justifies their statement that their decisions to grant planning permission for the extraction of peat at Duich Moss, Islay, "if undertaken with appropriate care … would not have any significant effect on the nature conservation interest of Duich Moss"; and
What scientific justification they have for the statement that their decision to grant planning permission for the extraction of peat at Duich Moss, Islay, "if undertaken with appropriate care … would not have any significant effect on the nature conservation interest of Duich Moss", and whether they will confirm that this statement is contradicted by evidence given to the Government by the Nature Conservancy Council, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the World Wildlife Fund, the International Council of Bird Preservation, the International Waterbird Research Bureau, the Greenland White-Fronted Goose Study and the Scottish Ornithological Club.
§ The Miniser of State, Scottish Office (Lord Gray of Contin)My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland's decision to grant planning permission for the extraction of peat from Duich Moss was based primarily on his consideration of written submissions by the applicant, the planning authority, the Nature Conservancy Council and the Greenland White-Fronted Goose Study. The submissions by the Nature Conservancy Council and the Greenland White-Fronted Goose Study contained assertions, based on general research, to the effect that peat extraction on a substantial scale would have a damaging effect on the hydrology, and thus on the nature conservation interest, of Duich Moss. However, no evidence based on a specific survey of Duich Moss was submitted to my right honourable friend to support the proposition that works on the scale proposed would result in significant damage to the nature conservation interest of the Moss. In their representations to my right honourable friend, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the World Wildlife Fund, the International Council of Bird Preservation, the International Waterfowl Research Bureau and the Scottish Ornithologists' Club expressed the view that peat extraction would damage the nature conservation interest of the site but offered no evidence of either a general or specific nature to support this view.
§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can confirm that work has now started on the access road across Duich Moss, Islay, following their decision to grant planning permission for the extraction of peat on this site, and whether they will take immediate steps to halt further work in view of: 898WA
- (a)the Nature Conservancy Council's offer to an alternative site for peat extraction, along with the offer of compensation for any additional costs incurred;
- (b) the fact that the original decision by the Secretary of State for Scotland appears to have been taken in ignorance of the international importance of, and protection in theory given to, this site; and
- (c) the fact that inquiries are still continuing into the inaccurate information provided by the Government to Parliament about representations from the European Commission regarding this site.
§ Lord Gray of ContinI understand that work on the construction of the access road has now been started. The offer made by the Nature Conservancy Council is a matter for consideration by Scottish Malt Distillers Limited. When my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland took his decision in principle to grant planning permission for the proposed development he was fully aware of the international significance of Duich Moss and of the intention to designate the Moss as a site of special scientific interest. I explained the circumstances of the failure of communication on the approach from the Commission of the European Communities in my answer to the noble Lord's Question on 16th May, by which time inquiries into this matter had been completed. The considerations put forward by the noble Lord do not, therefore, provide any justification for action to be taken by Her Majesty's Government to prevent Scottish Malt Distillers Limited from continuing to implement their plans to extract peat from Duich Moss in accordance with the planning permission granted by my right honourable friend subject to detailed conditions which are designed to protect the nature conservation interest of the site.