Cairngorms National Park Boundary Bill: Stage 1

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 4:39 pm on 21 March 2007.

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Photo of Murdo Fraser Murdo Fraser Conservative 4:39, 21 March 2007

The House of Bruar is an excellent visitor experience, but it does not lie within the Cairngorms national park. The purpose of the bill is to extend its boundaries and bring the House of Bruar and Blair Atholl within them. That would solve the problem and would create a visitor experience at the southern end. There are good economic arguments for the inclusion of Blair Atholl and, on the other side, Spittal of Glenshee.

Let there be no doubt that opposition to the bill is driven purely by politics. It is a great shame that Nora Radcliffe of the Liberal Democrats is not here to defend her position. Nora was clear when she spoke in the members' business debate on the subject back in April 2005, as Ted Brocklebank mentioned. She said:

"I hope that the Scottish Executive will move at the first sensible opportunity to review the boundary and to adopt the one that was extensively consulted on and that won a high degree of consensus."—[Official Report, 20 April 2005; c 16218.]

We have reached that "sensible opportunity" but, unfortunately, Nora Radcliffe decided to vote against it in committee. To put it as gently as I can, that is a most disappointing U-turn on Nora Radcliffe's part, and it shows the contempt that members of the Liberal and Labour Executive parties have for the views of those in highland Perthshire and throughout Mid Scotland and Fife.

The current boundaries of the Cairngorms national park were a mistake by the Executive. The Cairngorms National Park Boundary Bill is about righting a wrong, and it is time to put matters right. We have great pleasure in supporting the general principles of the bill.