Parliament Workbench
Data: Official Report to 12 Nov 2026

Official Report · Committee

New Petitions

Electricity Transmission Lines (Underground Cabling) (PE1087)

Tuesday 20 November 2007 Public Petitions Committee Petitions 5 contributions · 4 speakers

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The record

5 contributions
Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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PE1087, by Nancy Gardner, calls on the Parliament to consider and debate using underground and, where appropriate, undersea cabling for any new electricity transmission lines, such as that which is proposed between Beauly and Denny. The petition, as well as having been lodged, was hosted on the e-petitions system, where it gathered 232 signatures. The petition is relatively clear. I invite views on how to deal with it. I know that consultation is continuing. In fact, the inquiry into the matter is now on-going.

John Farquhar Munro LD Ross, Skye and Inverness West
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There is a lot of interest in what is happening and a lot of criticism about what has been proposed. I suppose that we must wait for the results of the public inquiry, which I think is drawing to a conclusion. The local population on the route of the Beauly to Denny line are certainly objecting strongly. All the local authorities, from Highland to Stirling, have also objected. There is a lot to happen yet.

John Wilson SNP Central Scotland
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I was going to suggest that we do not wait until the inquiry has reported its findings, as certain issues need to be addressed. This petition might well have raised another—how to transmit the electricity that is produced—on which it would be worth while for the committee to seek the views of the Scottish Government and the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. After all, the petition might give them an alternative that might not have been considered in the inquiry and that they might think about before they go ahead and put up the pylons and cabling from Beauly to Denny.

Nigel Don SNP North East Scotland
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A week and a half ago, I attended a conference in Dundee with people involved in establishing sources of renewable energy and in exploring how to transmit across Scotland the electricity produced. All the issues raised in the petition are topmost in the experts' minds, so I do not think that it will tell them anything that they have not thought about already. Of course, that does not stop us writing to the Government or anyone else on what the current position might be.

Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
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Are members happy with those recommendations?Members indicated agreement.

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