Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
In closing the debate, I take a final opportunity to thank all the stakeholders who contributed to the development of the bill. As I said in my opening remarks, the views of the grass-roots crofters and stakeholders were crucial in helping us to better understand the needs and concerns of crofters and landlords. Their lived experience helped us to shape the bill, to identify and address potential issues at an early stage, and to develop solutions. Consultation and continued engagement have highlighted that there is widespread support for the bill across the crofting counties.
I also want to take a moment to thank the members who have spoken in today’s debate. There have been some very thought-provoking contributions, and I will continue to reflect on the points that have been made. I will touch on one or two of the issues that have been raised. When we started the debate, I never expected to hear that Tim Eagle had a crush on Richard Leonard—that was the surprise of the afternoon. However, in response to his point about environmental development meaning abandonment, we lodged amendments to ensure that that would not be the case.
Rhoda Grant rightly talked about Donna Smith and Susi Stuehlinger, to whom I apologise if I have pronounced her name incorrectly. Their involvement in the bill has been fundamental in ensuring that we got it right. We did not promise an overarching bill; it was always a bill of technical fixes, because the 2017 consultation was split on what crofting communities wanted. It was the crofters who were divided in their thinking.