Trust’s concerns about lobbying
A Pitlochry-based conservation charity has raised concerns about a forthcoming bill that could see it having to record every time it talks to politicians in the future.
The John Muir Trust’s policy officer, John Low, told Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart of how the Scottish Lobbying Act – apparently designed to increase transparency about the process – could result in increased administration.
But he added the perceived extra workload would only apply to charitable organisations and not private firms.
The same bill was recently blasted by Martin Sime, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, who said it made“no distinction between charities lobbying for public benefit and the profit lobbying [private] companies and their PR companies seem very good at”.
Mr Low said following his meeting with Mr Stewart:“We shared our concerns with Alexander on the forthcoming lobbying bill which could result in organisations such as ourselves - unlike private businesses - having to make a six-monthly return recording of every conversation, however casual, we have with a politician.
“Alexander’s clear understanding of the problem was reassuring, as was his commitment to pass on our significant concerns to his colleagues and the government.”
Mr Stewart, who recently criticised the Scottish Government for overturning councillors’decisions to deny developers planning permission for controversial windfarms, added:“It was a pleasure to have visited the John Muir Trust’s head office and to have met with John Low on a wide variety of subjects.
“It was very gratifying to talk about the Trusts’highly pro-active work to balance the effect that wind farms have on the environment.
“Indeed, it recently called for a genuinely independent study on the impact of industrial scale windfarms on tourism in rural communities and wild land areas, disputing a recent paper which claimed that windfarms do not impact on tourism.
“Whilst I and the Trust both recognise that renewable energy is required to tackle climate change while meeting national energy needs, we would want to see a fair balance struck based on robust evidence which also protects our wildest places.”