Chamber
Plenary, 25 Jan 2007
25 Jan 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Crofting Reform etc Bill
I will deal with the formal part first. For the purposes of rule 9.11 of the standing orders, I advise the Parliament that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Crofting Reform etc Bill, has consented to place her prerogative and interests, so far as they are affected by the bill, at the disposal of the Parliament for the purposes of the bill.
At the start of this session, the partnership committed itself to bringing forward a crofting reform bill as a continuation of the established commitment to a programme of significant land reform measures. In an extensive and complex reform agenda, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 took priority. The reform of crofting legislation was always—including during scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill—a key element of the whole process, and the Crofting Reform etc Bill is the final step of that process. Having said that, a further process is now in hand.
I am extremely proud that the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 has had such a profound effect on the fortunes, futures and confidence of so many crofting communities. Only two weeks ago, yet another crofting community announced that agreement had been reached to acquire its crofting estate—the Galson estate. In a few short years, the 2003 act has liberated and inspired crofting communities. Renewable energy has been a catalyst in some cases, but it is the 2003 act that has made it possible for those communities to benefit from all forms of renewable energy, and that has built the prospect of a sustainable future.
The Crofting Reform etc Bill was introduced to promote even more sustainable crofting communities, more local involvement in crofting administration, simplified crofting regulation and more active crofters by giving crofters greater scope to diversify their activities. In some ways, it is fortuitous that the Crofting Reform etc Bill has followed the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, as we have been able to address in the bill the threats that are posed to crofting community estate buyouts by interposed leases. Those leases, which attempt to frustrate crofting communities' attempts to buy development rights, have emerged as an issue only since the passage of the 2003 act. We will significantly amend that act as a result of stage 2 amendments to the Crofting Reform etc Bill.
Since 2001, the Crofters Commission, in its development role, has demonstrated in Jura, Islay, Colonsay, Eigg and Ardnamurchan that creating new crofts through the reorganisation of croft land can play a vital role in developing remote communities and bolstering populations. That work has reinforced our conviction that the bill's provisions on new crofts can contribute to rural development both in the Highlands and Islands and in other areas of Scotland, such as Arran.
The Environment and Rural Development Committee published a comprehensive report on the bill at stage 1, which identified some issues that it thought needed further consideration before the bill could go forward, in particular the role and constitution of the Crofters Commission. The Executive, recognising the strength of feeling on issues surrounding the Crofters Commission, withdrew the sections of the bill relating to the role and constitution of the Crofters Commission and gave a commitment to establish a committee of inquiry on crofting to consider the commission's role as well as the wider issues around market forces and crofting's role in rural development.
That committee of inquiry has been established under the chairmanship of Professor Mark Shucksmith, a well-known and respected academic whose work as co-director of the Arkleton centre for rural development research at the University of Aberdeen will be known to many people in the crofting counties. The committee of inquiry will commence its business in earnest in the next few weeks, and it is expected to report by the end of 2007. I look forward to reading its conclusions.
At the start of this session, the partnership committed itself to bringing forward a crofting reform bill as a continuation of the established commitment to a programme of significant land reform measures. In an extensive and complex reform agenda, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 took priority. The reform of crofting legislation was always—including during scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill—a key element of the whole process, and the Crofting Reform etc Bill is the final step of that process. Having said that, a further process is now in hand.
I am extremely proud that the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 has had such a profound effect on the fortunes, futures and confidence of so many crofting communities. Only two weeks ago, yet another crofting community announced that agreement had been reached to acquire its crofting estate—the Galson estate. In a few short years, the 2003 act has liberated and inspired crofting communities. Renewable energy has been a catalyst in some cases, but it is the 2003 act that has made it possible for those communities to benefit from all forms of renewable energy, and that has built the prospect of a sustainable future.
The Crofting Reform etc Bill was introduced to promote even more sustainable crofting communities, more local involvement in crofting administration, simplified crofting regulation and more active crofters by giving crofters greater scope to diversify their activities. In some ways, it is fortuitous that the Crofting Reform etc Bill has followed the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, as we have been able to address in the bill the threats that are posed to crofting community estate buyouts by interposed leases. Those leases, which attempt to frustrate crofting communities' attempts to buy development rights, have emerged as an issue only since the passage of the 2003 act. We will significantly amend that act as a result of stage 2 amendments to the Crofting Reform etc Bill.
Since 2001, the Crofters Commission, in its development role, has demonstrated in Jura, Islay, Colonsay, Eigg and Ardnamurchan that creating new crofts through the reorganisation of croft land can play a vital role in developing remote communities and bolstering populations. That work has reinforced our conviction that the bill's provisions on new crofts can contribute to rural development both in the Highlands and Islands and in other areas of Scotland, such as Arran.
The Environment and Rural Development Committee published a comprehensive report on the bill at stage 1, which identified some issues that it thought needed further consideration before the bill could go forward, in particular the role and constitution of the Crofters Commission. The Executive, recognising the strength of feeling on issues surrounding the Crofters Commission, withdrew the sections of the bill relating to the role and constitution of the Crofters Commission and gave a commitment to establish a committee of inquiry on crofting to consider the commission's role as well as the wider issues around market forces and crofting's role in rural development.
That committee of inquiry has been established under the chairmanship of Professor Mark Shucksmith, a well-known and respected academic whose work as co-director of the Arkleton centre for rural development research at the University of Aberdeen will be known to many people in the crofting counties. The committee of inquiry will commence its business in earnest in the next few weeks, and it is expected to report by the end of 2007. I look forward to reading its conclusions.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5335, in the name of Ross Finnie, that the Parliament agrees that the Crofting Reform etc Bill be passed.
The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie):
LD
I will deal with the formal part first. For the purposes of rule 9.11 of the standing orders, I advise the Parliament that Her Majesty, having been informed ...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP):
SNP
Can the minister clarify a matter in the interests of the staff who work for the Crofters Commission? Originally, the bill proposed that the commission shoul...
Ross Finnie:
LD
As always, I am reluctant to anticipate the conclusions of an independent inquiry. Obviously, there will be no change unless the matter comes before Parliame...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
The Scottish National Party welcomes the final stage of the bill. The bill is equitable and achieves fairly small administrative changes that benefit crofter...
Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
Members will be aware that the Conservatives opposed the bill at stage 1. We agreed with the Environment and Rural Development Committee's fairly devastating...
Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
It is good to see the Crofting Reform etc Bill completing its passage through the Parliament.It is important that we have legislation that is fit for purpose...
Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD):
LD
Crofting tenure has sustained rural communities in the crofting counties since the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 was passed and the legal concept of ...
Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab):
Lab
A week last Friday, I attended the celebrations in the community of Ness when Galson estate, which covers some 54,000 acres and includes some 20 townships, m...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
I ask members please to ensure that their mobile phones are off.
Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green):
Green
I add my thanks to everybody who has been involved in the bill—the committee clerks, people from the Scottish Parliament information centre and the people fr...
John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD):
LD
This is an historic day and a debate in which I am delighted to be involved. Even the elements are kind to us today. The sun is shining down on us, so somebo...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
It is sad that John Farquhar Munro's sensible amendments to do with building on the common grazings and not on the arable parts of crofts were knocked back. ...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP):
SNP
I, too, thank the Scottish Crofting Foundation for its help and support throughout the bill and pay tribute to the cross-party group on crofting. Of all the ...
Ross Finnie:
LD
Will the member give way?
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I will in just a minute.I am genuinely perplexed about that and I am profoundly concerned about the implications of the decision.
Ross Finnie:
LD
I can understand the member's concern. I think that that was the only occasion on which I personally had to make the decision. It might help the member to kn...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I am grateful to the minister for that clarification, but I am still unclear about why he felt bound to take the decision that he did. Perhaps he and I can p...
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
Fergus Ewing and Jamie McGrigor have set out a worthy list of priorities for the committee of inquiry. However, although we can hope that there may be no mor...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
No one disagrees that that is a major issue for the committee. I am sure that it will examine the matter thoroughly, as Jamie Stone has advocated.I would pre...
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Sarah Boyack):
Lab
Sometimes life takes unexpected twists and turns. Who would have thought that, after convening the Parliament's Environment and Rural Development Committee, ...
Mr McGrigor rose—
Con
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
Would Jamie McGrigor like to agree with me?
Mr McGrigor:
Con
No. I suggest to the minister that it might have been more appropriate for the Executive to listen before the bill was written.
Sarah Boyack:
Lab
There was a fair amount of consultation before the bill was introduced. If Jamie McGrigor reads the committee's conclusions, he will find a deep analysis of ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
That concludes this item of business. For the benefit of members of the public in the gallery, I note that business has finished about five minutes early.
Meeting suspended until 11:40.
On resuming—