Governments strike working deal

Brian Taylor's blog

The Northern Irish and Scottish first ministers have signed an agreement which may lead to the revival of the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry.

Ian Paisley and Alex Salmond will also work together on plans to lay a power cable in the Irish Sea to take renewable energy to England and beyond.

Dr Paisley and his deputy, Martin McGuinness, came to Edinburgh for talks with the Scottish Government.

However, Dr Paisley would not comment on his son's resignation as a minister.

During a media conference at Edinburgh Castle, he said he was in Scotland to do business.

I am delighted we have made a tangible progress on two areas Alex Salmond Scottish first minister

Mr Salmond said significant progress had been made towards appointing a consultant to take forward an economic assessment to consider "all options" for the ferry service, which would run between Argyll and Antrim.

He added: "We agreed that both administrations will give the appraisal urgent consideration as soon as it becomes available and we are also agreed that we would publish today a joint paper setting out our proposed way forward."

The two administrations also discussed the possibility of electricity inter-connectors to handle the "vast" potential of marine renewable energy.

This may involve a joint application for European funding to look at the potential.

'Internal matters'

Mr Salmond, who addressed Stormont last year following the SNP's election win, said: "I am delighted we have made tangible progress on these two areas.

"That is exactly what the bilateral meeting was about."

The Northern Irish delegation included Mr Paisley's son Ian Jnr, who stepped down as a junior minister on Monday, the first resignation since devolution was re-established.

He has faced persistent claims of links with business developers, but insisted they were unfounded as he decided to quit to prevent further damage to his party.

When asked about the affair, Dr Paisley responded: "I won't make any comments whatsoever to the press about internal matters in Northern Ireland."

Mr Paisley, the Democratic Unionist Party leader, and Mr McGuinness of Sinn Fein, earlier met Scottish Parliament presiding officer Alex Fergusson for a tour of the Holyrood building.