Expenditure On Cairngorms Partnership

EDM number 530 in 1995-96, proposed by Brian H Donohoe on 28/02/1996.

That this House notes with extreme concern the cost to the taxpayer of meeting the administrative and operational costs of the Cairngorms Partnership; recognises that the Partnership was established and is funded by the Scottish Office to advise on the future use of the Cairngorms; notes that the original report of the Cairngorms Working Party, which the Cairngorms Partnership is examining, cost the Scottish Office ú127,650; further notes that the estimated expenditure of the Cairngorms Partnership over the current and next two financial years will be over ú1.7 million which is over 10 times the cost of the original report; recognises that there are 23 members of the Board of the Cairngorms Partnership who can receive expenses of over ú500 per month excluding the Chairman of the Partnership who receives nearly ú1,700 a month; acknowledges that there is a need for a body to advise the Scottish Office on the future use of the Cairngorms; but calls on the Secretary of State for Scotland to intervene in order to protect the legitimate interests of the taxpayer in Scotland from meeting the disproportionate costs of the Cairngorms Partnership and the members of its Board until its budget is reduced to meet the task which it has been set.

This motion has been signed by a total of 24 MPs.