§ Mr. McCartneyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is able to indicate his response to the Report of the Countryside Commission for Scotland on "A Park System for Scotland".
§ Mr. William RossI welcome this Report as a constructive and imaginative approach to the problems of securing both positive development of recreation in the countryside and the conservation of its beauty and resources for the future, and I have been impressed by the large measure of acceptance of the Commission's proposals which emerged in the course of the wide-ranging consultations carried out on the Commission's paper. The Government generally accept the proposals in the paper and I commend the paper to local authorities as a basis for their thinking on these matters. It is however, important to recognise that the implementation of proposals requiring additional public expenditure will depend on their being accommodated within available resources and the Government's plans for public expenditure. I have noted with particular interest the proposals for special and regional parks which, together with some of the Commission's other proposals, cannot be given 411W effect without legislation. Legislation will in due course be considered, but there are a number of matters which will require further examination and I have arranged for my Department to examine these in discussions with the Commission and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.