§ 119. Mr. F. Macleanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement regarding the proposed scheme for breeding reindeer in this country.
Mr. McNeilI have informed the Reindeer Council of the United Kingdom through the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) that the Government are prepared, as an exceptional arrangement in view of the possible advantage to the Scottish economy, to authorise the import of 25 reindeer from Sweden so that an experiment to determine whether they can be usefully and successfully reared on a suitable site in the Highlands and Islands may be carried out. The experiment would be subject to strict conditions which have been suggested by the Nature Conservancy and to animal health safeguards. The Reindeer Council have not yet informed me whether they are prepared to accept these conditions.