§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who they consider has been responsible for the "outside and ignorant interference" in the decisions made by the Scottish Office to allow the destruction of the Duich Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest in Islay mentioned by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office on 4th September 1986; and
Whether it is their view that the intention of the European Commission to prevent the destruction of the Duich Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest on Islay was an "unfortunate complication" as stated by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office on 4th September 1986.
§ Lord GlenarthurThe noble Lord's references are to a letter written in a constituency capacity by my honourable friend the Member for Argyll and Bute, commenting upon the Government's response to representations made by the Combined Community Councils of Islay and Jura about the council's great concern that the extraction of peat from Duich Moss for the whisky industry in Islay may be placed in896WA jeopardy. The Government's position has been made clear on a number of occasions. The Secretary of State made no decision to allow the destruction of the Duich Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest, but rather to preserve it from any significant adverse effects. The Government do not accept, in the light of the conditions attached to the planning permission to extract peat from Duich Moss, that significant damage to the habitat of the Greenland White-Fronted Geese is likely. They therefore naturally regret any subsequent delays which place obstacles in the way of development of an industry of great importance to the people of Islay.