MINISTER LEFT MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED - SMITH

12.00.00am GMT Thu 14th Jan 2010

Commenting after Energy Minister Jim Mather's appearance before the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, Convener and Liberal Democrat MSP Iain Smith said:

"The Minister was still frustratingly tight-lipped on details of the Beauly-Denny power line.

"This line needs to be built and built quickly to transfer the renewable energy potential of the North down to the Central Belt.

"Hopefully building will begin this summer, but the Minister didn't say when it would finish. Local residents desperately want to know how long building will cause disruption.

"Local residents will also be eager to hear about how the effects of the line can be mitigated.

"The Minister failed to give any more clarity about what would be required to meet the mitigation requirements, but did not rule out re-routing, re-siting or undergrounding.

"Last week Mr. Mather said further statutory consents would not be necessary. This morning he said they might. We need to know which is true. More planning consents will delay the project further.

"The reporter in Stirling concluded that the landscape impact was acceptable. Mr. Mather gave no explanation as to why he rejected this view.

"This raises the suspicion must be that his decision was in the nationalist interest rather than national interest.

"There are many questions that still need to be answered. The Minister needs to stop dithering and tell us what we need to know."

Ends.