Ministers branded incompetent over Scottish Water plans

Published on Thursday 11 November 2010 17:06

MINISTERS have been accused of "incompetence" and making plans for Scottish Water's future on "the back of a fag packet".

Opposition MSPs are concerned the Scottish Water Bill was hastily withdrawn because of concerns it may not meet the requirements to go through Holyrood.

The Bill aims to keep the utility in public ownership and allow it to expand operations, but the Scottish Government decided to increase its ambitions before Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson could rule on its legality.

Infrastructure Minister Stewart Stevenson said in Parliament yesterday: "We originally believed we could start the move of Scottish Water into a broader role with a very limited Bill.

"However, as we reflected further on our vision for Scottish Water, it became clear that we were at risk of underestimating the potential."

The Bill will instead be put out to consultation before being brought back to Parliament.

Calling for support, he added: "When we talk about water, we talk about our future. It underpins much of what we do.

"This chamber should beware of starting a storm in a water cup, if the price of that is to block our ears and close our eyes to the important business of mapping a future for our most precious resource."

His statement prompted accusations from opponents that the Bill was put together on "the back of a fag packet".

Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, who convenes the Holyrood committee which will scrutinise the Bill, said: "The minister wants us to believe that legal competence is not an issue.

"If that's right, surely we're left with the question of ministerial competence."

Mr Harvie said committee members are "frustrated" at delays and cancellations to their programme because of the Bill's withdrawal.

Earlier, Labour MSP Charlie Gordon criticised the handling of the Bill and added: "Precisely when will this Government get beyond the back-of-a-fag-packet stage and tell Scotland's people what his Government has in store for their water?"

Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw repeated his party's call for ministers to "give up control" of the utility - a move the Government rejects.

Mr Carlaw added: "The First Minister promised us 'not a revolution but an evolution'.

"What he did not promise was yet another false start.His government has had four years to formulate a convincing policy and has failed."

Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis: "Are we seriously expected to believe that the minister for infrastructure submitted a Water Bill to the Presiding Officer and the moment it left his hands he immediately regretted it?

"In those few seconds he suddenly thought they could do better?"

He said there had been no clarity on whether the Bill is competent.

But Mr Stevenson said: "No sensible government would ever bring forward a Bill which is incompetent.

"There is no issue in relation to competence."