This letter, which  was published in the Strathy Nov 2002 under heading  'Come Clean Mr Peacock', concludes by asking the deputy minister, former Convenor of Highland Council and SNH main board member about the current discredited Cairngorms Park Order

Sir,

In the normal course of events an elected Highland MSP of the rank of Deputy Minister should never deliberately mislead constituents, even when boasting to the press.

It is now over a year since Deputy Minister Peter Peacock made allegations against "Eurocrats" and conservationists which raised serious questions of public interest (Strathy 8 November 2001). Questions were duly asked of him (Strathy 15 and 22 November 2001). However he has never answered these.

Peter Peacock, since stepping down as Independent Convenor of Highland Council and SNH Main Board member, has become a player in a government described by its First Minister as "open and transparent in all we do". This being so, Mr Peacock’s long silence is surprising.

The questions asked of Mr Peacock about his "hastily arranged" high level secret meeting with "Eurocrats" in Brussels, possibly undertaken at the public expense, were seeking the truth. May I respectfully remind Mr Peacock that readers still await answers?

On the Cairngorms National Park there has been informed speculation about what Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles has described as "the most blatant political stitch up " he has encountered in his time in parliament (The Piper 18 October 2002) .

On such claims of a political fix (commented on in the Strathy of 17 January) please can the Deputy Minister clarify whether on 7 September 1998 he, with other Highland Councillors, met Dr Ian Jardine of SNH and what understanding was reached between the Council and SNH at that time?

A political commentator has written of a "vicious turf war" involving Peter Peacock in relation to the "classic fudge" of the Cairngorms Park Order (Telegraph 15 Nov 2002). Having claimed a role as "proud father" of the controversial funicular (Strathy 8 November 2001), would Peter Peacock admit to being partly responsible for the nature of the discredited Cairngorms National Park Order?

yours etc

(Dr) Gus Jones

Fiodhag, Nethybridge, Inverness-shire PH25 3DJ