NEWLY elected SNP councillor Alex McLean has responded to criticism over an election row.

Councillor McLean who decried an election claim by Labour councillor Alex Gallagher that the SNP were to deposit nuclear waste from around the country at Hunterston has reiterated his point that it was a Westminster issue.

Following recent letters criticising him and SNP colleague Alan Hill Mr McLean stated this week: "I would point to the Scotland Act, Schedule 5 (Reserved Matters), which identifies the 'Transport of radioactive material' and 'Regulation of the carriage of dangerous goods' as reserved matters.

"These activities are carried out by the Nuclear Directive of the Health and Safety Executive and by the Department for Transport both of which report to the Westminster Government. This is dictated by Acts of the Westminster Parliament. Storage and disposal of nuclear waste is the responsibility of the Department of Energy and Climate Change through the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. When I last checked that was a Whitehall department responsible to Westminster."

The full statement and page of views are in the Largs & Millport Weekly News of May 30.