§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department has received a report from the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland in respect of the project funded by his Department earlier this year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Hector MonroYes. The report was released on 6 May at the mountain safety seminar in Dunblane, which I addressed. Its findings are being studied carefully by all parties involved with mountain safety, including the Scottish Mountain Safety Group. The proceedings of the Dunblane seminar will be published within the next month or so.
In light of the issues raised in the report and discussed at the seminar, a number of initiatives have been undertaken, including the installation of information and warning signs at the start of routes and the development of a new training course on navigational skills. Consideration is also being given to the introduction of warning posts at particularly dangerous areas on certain routes, to the potential benefits of electronic aids and to possible areas for further research.