Hans J Marter

3 November, 2007

LIBERAL Democrat and SNP politicians appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet in what could become a joint campaign to devolve Crown Estate powers from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament.

On Thursday, Shetland MSP Tavish Scott told the parliament that the Crown was collecting around £75,000 in lease charges each year from Lerwick and other harbours.

In addition, Lerwick Port Authority is expected to have to pay a further £600,000 in charges for a major dredging project to attract more business to the harbour.

These funds, Mr Scott argued, should stay in the islands where ports were in public hands and run for benefit of the community.

"As a minister, I initiated consideration within government on reform. Such issues are complex. There is and there was - I make no bones about it - institutional reluctance to rock the boat, but that boat must firmly be rocked," Mr Scott told MSPs.

"Scotland's ports need investment. However, as businesses they need to be freed of additional taxes and charges that potentially slow and blunt their competitiveness."

Current Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson said the SNP minority government was not afraid to "rock the boat" if necessary.

Mr Stevenson said that while the power for major reform lay with Westminster, the Scottish government had ways of influencing the Crown Estate through its planning and environmental briefs.

"The Scottish government will do all that it can to support a constructive relationship with the Crown Estate as we move forward, but I say to Mr Scott that, if necessary, we will rock the boat," he said.

Meanwhile SNP Highlands and Islands MSP Rob Gibson has urged environment minister Michael Russell to speed up the process of moving regulatory powers from the Crown Estate to the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Gibson said: "There was a great deal of consensus during the debate that the powers the Crown Estate has over Scottish marine property, such as the sea bed and harbours, needs to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

"The Crown Estate craves continued life, but it has no credibility with most of the communities that I represent.

"The plight of harbours, whereby those that are good for business incur greater levies, is a nonsense. Scrabster harbour has just paid £90,000 to the Crown Estate.

"It should not simply be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee. The government should take over some of the regulatory and other powers of the Crown Estate for the Scottish Parliament."