Scottish Lib Dems on Crown Estate
Liam McArthur MSP (Orkney) has said that the Scotland Bill offers a good opportunity [link broken 2024] to devolve the Crown Estate’s power and control over Scotland’s seabed to local communities.
Indeed it does. Presuming that Tavish Scott, Alan Reid, John Thurso, Charles Kennedy, Danny Alexander, Alistair Carmichael, John Farquhar Munro, Jamie Stone etc…….etc……. all agree then all that needs to be done is to invite Michael Moore MP, Secretary of State for Scotland to insert a new Section 1(8) in the Crown Estate Act 1961 to the effect that “This Act does not apply to Scotland”
Job done.
Further to this it is interesting to read the Legislative Consent Memorandum which calls for further debate on the topic (and also indicates that the Scottish Government does not oppose losing the power of regulating activities in Antarctica – Clause 14 of Scotland Bill)
See previous post for critique of Scotland Bill’s treatment of this matter.