Monthly Archives: January 2009

Comment from Environment Minister, Michael Russell MSP, on political scaremongering on forest leasing scheme

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For Argyll has reported several times on uninformed and irresponsible political scaremongering on the Scottish Government’s forest leasing proposals. The latest example of this – and the subject of a very recent report – was unfortunately perpetrated by former Argyll & Bute MSP, George Lyon at the opening of his campaign to go to Brussels as an MEP.

Michael Russell has now himself sent For Argyll a comment on this matter – and please note his invitation to put forward any suggestions and ideas which you think would improve the proposed scheme.

Mr Russell says:

‘The Liberal Democrat  campaign of disinformation about the forestry proposals is now a matter of serious concern. People have a right to expect their elected representatives and their potential candidates to tell the truth but alas on this occasion the Liberal Democrats have preferred to peddle downright lies.

‘I suspect it will rebound upon them but for any party – or any individual – to seek a few extra votes by means of deliberate deceit is a disgrace to democracy.   And when the issue goes to the heart of the greatest challenge facing humanity – that of climate change – then most of us will only have contempt for such people.

‘I  remain open to all views on the forestry proposals, including ideas that can improve upon them or present viable alternatives.   All I ask is that such a debate is conducted using fact, not fiction. On that criteria the Liberal Democrats have excluded themselves from the discussion’.

Today’s Scotsman carried a factual piece underlining just how falsely based is the convenient alarmism of the moment.

It reminds us that Scotland has 1.1 million acres of state-owned forest (460,000 hectares), making the ninety year-old Forestry Commission Scotland biggest landowner. It needs an annual subsidy of £28million, some of which is used for non-commercial activities, leaving the forest estates still losing millions of pounds each year.

The Scotsman goes on to say that Jim Hume, the Lib Dem’s Environment Spokesman, has implied that:

  • local businesses will lose contracts
  • outdoor activities the Forestry Commission supports will be stopped
  • hundreds of jobs will be at risk
  • Forestry Commission Scotland’s income will be ‘severely diminished’

- all if state forests – 25% of them – are leased to the private sector.

The Scotsman dismisses such alarmism as ‘grossly misplaced’. It points out that virtually all facilities made available to the public in the forests could be safeguarded in the terms of the lease – and Michael Russell has guaranteed that they will be.

In fact such facilities cannot be other than safeguarded since they are all certified under the UK’s Woodland Assurance Scheme. This deals with issues like the provision of local employment, public access, biodiversity and health and safety.

As the Scotsman says and as For Argyll has ponted out on many occasions, it is only the taxpayer-funded annual subsidy which will be ‘severely diminished’.

Site One Holy Loch Scotland Reunion Association coming home to Dunoon

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As part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations, the Site One Holy Loch Scotland Reunion Association is coming home to Dunoon from 6th-9th May 2009,

The Association exists to keep together, bring together and support all those who ever served at the U.S. Navy Submarine Base or Naval Support Activity at the Holy Loch at Dunoon – either as a military member, dependant, or civilian. Local residents are also encouraged to participate.

Dunoon’s Queen’s Hall will be the venue for the Dinner Dance on Friday 8th May and the Reunion Planners have already published a draft programme.

Spirit of the West Festival, Inveraray Castle

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16th and 17th May at Inveraray Castle sees the Spirit of the West Festival run in association with Whisky Coast. The innovative festival blends (oh yes) a range of arts and culture happenings with – you got it – the spirit of the west: whisky. You may not rememebr you’ve been there but you’ll enjoy it at the time. The event is part of Argyll’s programme for Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Footnote: in adding the link to this piece, For Argyll discovered a different Spirit of the West Festival – in Sioux Falls. What about twinning the two festivals for next year – with some great rodeo stuff at Inveraray Castle and Islay malts in Sioux Falls?

Mather calls for reassessment of defence spending priorities as Trident hits trouble

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Angus Robertson MP, the SNP’s Defence Spokesman at Westminster, has put together figures on the projected maintenance costs of retaining Trident nuclear submarines over the next ten years at their Faslane base in Argyll.

Coinciding with this, a group of distinguished retired military officers has just released a statement describing the Trident weapons system as ‘irrelevant’ and ‘completely useless’ in contemporary warfare.

Angus Robertson’s figures, set alongside this statement, underlines a significant part of the policy basis of the Scottish Government’s stance on refusing to host the next Trident generation in Scotland.

In outlining and welcoming the information drawn up by his Westminster colleague, Argyll’s MSP Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, says:

‘Careful questioning of Quentin Davies, Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support, by Angus Robertson MP has revealed that maintenance costs for the Trident weapons system, based at Faslane on the Clyde, will soar to £1.5 billion over the next ten years.

‘This is in spite of the fact that only last week in a letter to The Times, Field Marshall Lord Bramall and Generals Lord Ramsbotham and Sir Hugh Beach condemned Trident as “irrelevant” and “completely useless” and challenged the wisdom of even considering the longer term renewal of the deterrent system that would cost in the region of £25 billion.

‘As Angus Robertson observed, “This intervention has exposed the stark truth about the UK’s weapons of mass destruction and even senior defence chiefs now concede that they are a useless waste of money.”  The SNP has consistently opposed the presence and projected use of these weapons and to contemplate spending even more and more badly needed financial resources at a time when we face a period of recession is to compound an existing folly.

‘We have  heard on a regular basis over many years that the MOD is unable adequately to supply our troops serving in combat situations overseas and more recently that the long standing link with the faithful Ghurkhas from Nepal is likely to be severed because we lack the finance to meet our obligations to them.

‘This would seem to be a suitable time to reassess priorities and show the world a lead by giving up the pretence and the madness of the UK’s so-called independent nuclear deterrent’.