"At the moment this marine bill is heading for a train crash because of a row about devolution between the SNP and the Labour government in London,"
This comment from the Liberal-Democrat leader contender, Chris Hulne, reminded me a bit of a headline I saw once stating that "The Chunnel has got off the ground with a flying start..."
Anyway, notwithstanding train-crashes in the North Atlantic, this whole subject of devolving the sea has got me puzzled.
Both the Scottish and UK governments are promising marine bills and The Scotsman is campaigning for effective legislation.
Currently the devolution settlement allows Holyrood to determine policy between the coast and 12 miles out, but from 12 to 200 miles out is reserved to Westminster.
Why is twelve miles the border-line and how can you stop policies from the different administrations spilling over, as it were, into the other’s jurisdiction?
"If we want to have a one-stop-shop proper marine organisation that handles all of the issues in this area, clearly that split cannot continue."
Sounds logical.
And until Scotland possesses its own means of controlling and protecting that sea, i.e. a navy, then surely that "one-stop-shop" should be controlled from Westminster?
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