Meeting of the Parliament 21 December 2023
For Scottish Land Commission appointments, we also have a parliamentary scrutiny process that is underpinned by statute that was put into effect by the Scottish Government, and rightly so. Ministers appoint and Parliament scrutinises.
I thank everyone who has played their part in the appointment round. I also put on the record my sincere thanks to the outgoing land commissioners, David Adams and Megan MacInnes, and the outgoing chair, Andrew Thin, for their achievements and contributions. With the other commissioners, they have worked really hard to develop an incredibly effective organisation. From getting the commission up and running on time, on 1 April 2017, to establishing it as a respected and authoritative voice on land reform, their marvellous achievements have set the commission on a really firm footing. The leadership of Andrew Thin has been key to all of that, and I pay tribute to his long track record of effective and diligent public service.
The new chair and land commissioners now have the opportunity and the challenge to build on those achievements and continue the work to create a Scotland where everyone can benefit from the ownership and use of the nation’s land and assets. As we enter a further period of land reform, so, too, will the role and work of the commission enter a new phase, and I look forward to working closely with it on that journey. That is why I am pleased to recommend that the Parliament approve the appointments.
I move,
That the Parliament notes the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s 21st Report, 2023 (Session 6), Report on appointments to the Scottish Land Commission (SP Paper 499); welcomes the Committee’s recommendation that the Parliament approves the appointment of Professor Michael Russell, Professor Deborah Roberts and Craig Mackenzie as Land Commissioners to the Scottish Land Commission; further welcomes the Committee’s endorsement of the selection of Professor Michael Russell as Chair of the Commission, and approves the appointments as required by section 10 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.