§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the area over which the proposed drainage works upon Duich Moss site of special scientific interest, Islay, will extend; and what additional area of the site will, according to best estimates, have its hydrology affected by these works.
§ Mr. AncramThe area for which permission for the extraction of peat has been granted, and from which 693W drainage is necessary before peat extraction can begin, extends to some 151 acres. However, phase 1 of the work is limited to 44 acres and my right hon. Friend has stipulated that no drainage of the remaining area covered by the permission may be carried out until at least 12 years after cutting operations in phase 1 have begun, and that before any drainage work for phase 2 is begun all the conditions relating to the method of operation should be reviewed by the planning authority in consultation with Scottish Malt Distillers Limited and the Nature Conservancy Council.
My right hon. Friend is not aware that any estimates have been made of the size or location of specific areas of Duich Moss where the hydrology might be affected by the operations for which planning permission has been granted. In granting planning permission, however, my right hon. Friend has noted that Scottish Malt Distillers Limited have indicated that they would have no objections to a hydrological survey being undertaken simultaneously with the extraction of peat from phase 1 of the operations.
§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he or the promoters undertook a full environmental impact assessment of the drainage and peat stripping proposal made by Scottish Malt Distillers over Duich Moss, Islay; and if alternative supplies of peat were fully explored and tested before the planning consent was granted.
§ Mr. AncramNo formal environmental impact assessment of the proposal was submitted to my right hon. Friend with the planning application from Scottish Malt Distillers Limited to extract peat from Duich Moss. My right hon. Friend's decision to grant planning permission was based on the written submissions made to him. In reaching his decision, my right hon. Friend took account of the proposals for alternative sites suggested by the Nature Conservancy Council and of Scottish Malt Distillers' views of the necessity for extraction of peat from the site proposed.