Later this morning our petition returns to the petitions committee following responses from SEPA, SNH, MCA and the Scottish Government. We’ll publish those at some point as well as our response as well as updating on the outcome of the committee. We will be in attendance and watching very closely.
In the meantime, we are carrying on our series of emails obtained under FOI that demonstrates the Scottish Government’s failure during the last CFPA application. This email show that on 11th January 2016, 3 days after the head of Ports and Harbours suggested a “neutral/reasonable response”, that an internal consultation exercise was being undertaken with Marine Scotland – with Marine Scotland Science (MSS) being given until 21st January to respond internally to Marine Scotland Licensing Operation Team (MS-LOT). Given that the Scottish Government was telling us first that they weren’t consulted and then that the consultation was a mass email and didn’t count, it would see at odd with the information we have. Indeed Marine Scotland (don’t forget they are an integral part of the Scottish Government) would appear to have been taking the consultation seriously. Answers on a postcard then as to why the Scottish Government seems hell-bent on lying to the people it is supposed to represent?
5 more emails to go in this. Below is exhibit 3: