§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) why he has contravened the Ramsar convention in relation to peat stripping on Islay;
683W(2) why he overruled objections by the Nature Conservancy Council to the development by Scottish Malt Distillers of a grade one nature conservation review site on Islay, involving the stripping of peat from Eilan Na Muice;
(3) what estimate he has made of the effect of his proposal to allow peat stripping on a grade one site of special scientific interest on Islay on the Greenland white-fronted goose.
§ Mr. AncramFollowing my right hon. Friend's decision to call-in for his own determination the application by Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. for planning permission for peat extraction at Duich Peat Moss, Port Ellen, Islay, the developer, Argyll and Bute district council, the Nature Conservancy Council and the Greenland white-fronted goose study were invited to submit written representations on the proposed development. On consideration of these submissions and of the report of an inspection of the site, my right hon. Friend concluded that, if it were undertaken with appropriate care, the proposed development would not have any significant adverse effect on the nature conservation interest of Duich Moss. Nevertheless, although Duich Moss has not been designated as a wetland of international importance, my right hon. Friend is fully aware of its conservation value. He has, therefore, indicated that, in order to ensure that the risks of disturbance of the Greenland white-fronted geese and of effects on the hydrology of Duich Moss are minimised, he intends to attach conditions to the grant of planning permission which will specify the area in which peat cutting will be permitted, the times of year when operations will not be permitted, the methods to be adopted for the construction of the required access road, the drainage of the site and the cutting and removal of the peat, and the arrangements to be made for the restoration of the site. All of the parties have been asked to submit suggestions as to the conditions which they consider should be attached for these purposes to the grant of planning permission, and my right hon. Friend will take these suggestions into account in formulating the conditions.