Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30508 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, whether future regional marine plans, adopted under section 5 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, will be required to set out detailed marine spatial plans for all economic and nature restoration activities within the relevant Scottish marine region.
The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that regional marine plans (RMPs) state policies for and in connection with the sustainable development of the area. RMPs must also set economic, social and marine ecosystem objectives and objectives relating to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. RMPs must be developed in accordance with any adopted National Marine Plan (NMP) and are subject to the agreement of Scottish Ministers.
Responsibility for regional marine planning is devolved to marine planning partnerships (MPPs). The current NMP provides guidance to support the development of regional marine plans but specifies that the precise approach and coverage of the regional plan, including the level to which certain activities are spatially represented, will be for MPPs to determine based on local priorities and alignment with other local plans.