Meeting of the Parliament 28 October 2025 [Draft]
Amendment 129 would ensure that the public interest was at the forefront of land management plans. Acting in the public interest is a well-understood concept and should be at the very heart of this bill, but, sadly, it is missing.
The public interest test also outweighs individual interests. Land management plans could be an effective tool for making Scotland’s land work in the public interest and, in some circumstances, lead to diversifying land ownership. Therefore, the bill needs to be strengthened.
These amendments have taken on board discussions at stage 2 about the bill’s narrow focus on community sustainability. This is the policy goal as stated by Scottish Government, and amendment 129 reflects changes from stage 2 to incorporate some, but not all, of the public interest considerations relating to community sustainability.
Greater clarity is needed on the considerations that will shape the guidance underpinning land management plans, in order to more firmly centre the public interest in LMPs. This would make it more transparent from the outset for landowners, communities, the land and communities commissioner and the Scottish ministers the types of considerations that should underpin land management plans. Amendment 261, therefore, would require Scottish ministers to publish guidance on how landowners incorporate that into their land management plans.
Amendment 115 is consequential to 129, and amendment 233 is consequential to amendment 261.
I also support Mercedes Villalba’s amendments 76 and 76A, which seek to ensure that buyers of land also face a public interest test.
Ariane Burgess’s amendment 15 seeks to do something similar, but it is the same as Mercedes Villalba’s amendment at stage 2, which was not supported by the Scottish Government. Although I support both amendments, I hope that the Scottish Government and the cabinet secretary will take into account the update to the amendment that Mercedes Villalba submitted and that they will now support it.
I move amendment 115.