Meeting of the Parliament 21 March 2019
No—I am sorry. I have not got time. I have very few minutes.
It is time for a powerful land regulator to examine whether existing ownership helps or hinders in serving the public interest, in fulfilling people’s human rights and in delivering greater social justice. If it cannot be shown that actions can be taken to impact on land ownership behaviours to deliver necessary change, powers are needed that should include the potential break-up of landholdings that are exploiting their monopoly position. The minister refers in the motion to the good work of the Scottish Land Commission. It has made a promising start, but as Scottish Labour’s amendment makes clear, we need it to deliver for us the detailed thinking and proposals that will allow further progress towards ensuring that the public interest is met in land ownership. In that context, we will support the Green Party amendment.
How can we provide disincentives to the creation of large landholdings in the future, possibly through a range of fiscal mechanisms? I welcome the Scottish Land Commission’s report and its recommendations that would create radical change by means of statutory change, but also through targeted policy work and voluntary collaboration. Many of the recommendations would have a huge impact in addressing land inequity.
We will support the Scottish Government motion. If the cabinet secretary acts to secure further radical progress on those fronts, she will have the support of Scottish Labour and, indeed, Labour in doing that. If she does not—although I have faith in the collective experience of most members in the chamber—Labour in Government here, and in the UK, will instruct the SLC to provide Parliament with the options that it needs to act for greater change in land ownership, in order to deliver land justice for Scotland and to end centuries of the injustice that is inherent in how our land is owned.
I move amendment S5M-16445.3, to insert at end:
“; and assets, both rural and urban, across the country, and urges the Scottish Government to support the recommendations of the Scottish Land Commission on how to deliver interventions in the operation of Scotland’s land markets and ownerships that will provide disincentives to the future accrual of large privately owned land holdings and help deliver a more equitable distribution in the ownership of Scotland’s land assets in the public interest.”
15:37Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.