Petitions

The final petitions that we must deal with relate to opencast mining: PE346 from Scotland Opposing Opencast and PE369 from the Confederation of UK Coal Producers. Members have been provided with a note on the petitions. I seek members' views on how we should deal with them.Three options are set out in the paper. Option A is to note the petitions and write to the petitioners, including a copy of the Official Report of any relevant meetings. We could also write to the Executive setting out the views in the petitions. Option B would be to take oral evidence from the petitioners. Option C would be to consider the issues raised in the petitions and to appoint a reporter or reporters to take evidence from the petitioners and other relevant bodies, including the local authorities, and report back to the committee. I welcome John Home Robertson, the MSP for East Lothian, which is the source of one of the petitions. I, too, am a member for one of the areas referred to in petition PE346.

The layout of the committee room would be a credit to the Stasi—I would hate to face hostile cross-examination here.The committee is considering two petitions, one that would wipe out the opencast industry altogether and one that would open up all coal-bearing areas in Scotland to exploitation for opencast mining. My position is somewhere between the two. However, from a constituency point of view, my main concern is petition PE369, from the Confederation of UK Coal Producers, which calls for a guarantee that "exploitable coal deposits are accorded positive policies in development plans."As we know, that is extremely controversial. I will not detain the committee for much time on that point, because it was fully covered in the members' business debate that I initiated on 21 November. That debate included eloquent speeches from Bristow Muldoon and Adam Ingram.I understand the interests of opencast companies. I am sure that any reasonable person would acknowledge that there are places where opencast mining is appropriate, might be beneficial to the local economy and could help in the reclamation of industrial dereliction. However, it is very important to have regard to the track record of the industry. Several members have opencast mines in our constituencies and are aware of particular problems arising from dust, traffic, noise and so on.I submit that it is also very important to take account not just of the economic, environmental and social interests of communities that are close to proposed opencast sites, but of those that find themselves in areas that have been designated as areas of search for opencast coal, which could be blighted for many years to come by the implied threat of an opencast site in that neighbourhood.Recently, a substantial part of my constituency has been designated by the Scottish Executive as an area of search. It is very important that that area is narrowed down and that the industry is directed into areas that are genuinely suitable for opencasting. That would lift the blight from other parts of the countryside, because the designation of an area for opencast searching impacts not only on the landscape, the value of people's houses and the environment in such areas, but—crucially—on other industries. The area in my constituency that has been designated as an area of search has several new industries that employ a lot of people. Those industries could grow and be valuable to the local economy and benefit the area in the long term. It would be tragic if such potential were blighted by the threat of opencasting for short-term gain and short-term jobs.I have an obvious constituency concern. In any deliberation on the issue, I urge the committee to have regard for considerations of the kind that I have described. It is important to establish a credible distinction between the fairly narrow range of areas that are suitable for opencasting, which the industry could consider further legitimately, and the much wider range of areas that are not suitable for opencasting and should be excluded from such consideration. I hope that those points will be taken into account in the much wider examination of the national planning policy guidelines and other aspects of Scottish Executive policy.

I agree that we should appoint a reporter or reporters to take the matter forward. Although the area is quite technical, the issue itself is localised. I wonder whether we should follow the approach that Andy Kerr took with a relatively recent petition, when he went out and spoke to people in a specific locality. As far as this petition is concerned, it might be appropriate for the reporter to identify a couple of localities, find out the situation on the ground and come back to the committee with a report which would form the basis for deciding how we proceed with the matter. That would be a good way for the Parliament to deal with a particular issue without necessarily interfering with the usual run of committee business.

If we appoint a reporter or reporters, we can address the problem almost immediately. Goodness knows when we would be able to fit in any evidence taking. We should appoint the reporter or reporters and find out later whether we need to take evidence.

I must try to draw everything together. Without wishing to abuse my position as convener too much, I should repeat—as John Home Robertson mentioned—that I made a speech in the recent debate on this issue, so many of my concerns are well known and on the public record.Both petitions raise important issues that the committee should investigate further. I am getting the feeling that members favour option C, which is that we appoint a reporter or reporters to carry out further detailed research on the committee's behalf and submit a report to us in due course. Perhaps the report could concentrate on specific issues such as the NPPG, the cost of monitoring and the question of enforcing permissions.I am also attracted by Des McNulty's suggestion that the reporter or reporters pay site visits to some communities, as the geographical context of some of the communities is an important part of the issue. Before we agree on who will undertake the work, are members agreed that we appoint reporters who will be able to carry out site visits; speak to the individuals, communities and organisations associated with both petitions and other organisations, such as local authorities, that are not signatories but whose contributions are obviously worthy of consideration; and report back to the committee in due course?Members indicated agreement.

I open the question of who will act as reporter to expressions of interest from members.

Are any other members interested?

I agree. Are you expressing an interest, Nora?

If no other member wishes to express an interest, are members agreed that Adam Ingram and Nora Radcliffe will act as the two reporters on this issue?Members indicated agreement.

I look forward to seeing the reporters in East Lothian.