Scottish Parliament to investigate aggregates tax

"THE Scottish Parliament’s Transport and Environment Committee is to ask the Scottish Executive to take a closer look at the implications of the proposed new aggregates tax. At its first meeting of the new Parliamentary session last month, the Committee discussed a British Aggregates Association petition calling for the Scottish Parliament to consider the effects of the tax on the Scottish economy and to make representations to Westminster."

"The Committee agreed that the convener, Andy Kerr MSP, should write to the Scottish Executive asking it to investigate the impact on the environment the tax will have when it comes into force next April. The BAA argues that the tax will force the closure of many smaller independent quarry operators, leading to supplies having to be sourced from further afield which in turn will lead to an increase in HGV miles together with accompanying pollution, noise and traffic congestion."

"Robin Harper MSP, the Parliament’s only representative from the Green party, also requested that the executive be asked to model the result of the closure of smaller, local quarries to illustrate the full effect, and this was also agreed."

"BAA director Robert Durward said he was particularly pleased to see that MSPs of all parties had spoken in support of the Association’s petition. ‘We were beginning to think the Scottish Parliament was going to miss the opportunity to do something positive,’ he commented."

The BAA say they will now contact the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee with a request that they consider the wider economic implications of the tax on Scottish jobs and imported materials.