THE SCOTTISH government has promised to carry out a full public consultation into devolving control of the marine estate once powers are handed down from the Crown Estate to the Scottish Parliament.

Rural affairs and environment secretary Richard Lochhead made the pledge as he came under attack in Holyrood from Shetland MSP Tavish Scott.

5 of 12 Adverts

This month the House of Commons select committee on Scottish affairs recommended that the Crown Estate have its control of the marine estate removed and passed to local authorities.

Mr Lochhead told Parliament on Thursday that he has requested an urgent meeting with Scottish secretary Michael Moore to discuss a timeframe for devolving control to the Scottish Parliament.

After this, he said, there would be a second phase of devolution to communtiies following a full public consultation.

Mr Scott called on the government to take a single phase approach to devolving responsibility for the seabed, the coastline and inshore waters and handing powers straight to local authorities.

6 of 12 Adverts

He said: “Scottish ministers want to replace the Crown Estate’s tax grab on local marine development with one of their own. As islanders know after five years of nationalist government, powers are taken away from local control and centralised in Edinburgh.

“So why would any Shetlander believe that the nationalists would devolve this control to a local level when they do the opposite with fire and rescue, police and college funding. Their actions speak louder than their rhetoric.

“Shetland’s salmon farmers, mussel industry, port developments and marina users have paid tax to the Crown Estate for too long. It’s time for a new approach where these powers over the marine estate are locally controlled.

“That is what we should aim to achieve for the development of these industries and the huge potential of decommissioning oil platforms in the North Sea where Shetland is uniquely placed to take advantage of this work.”