Hansard

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, moved from private hands to community ownership. That truly was a great day—the culmination of many hours and days of hard work by the trustees.

It was also the culmination of a struggle and political agitation that straddled three centuries. The first time that the words "land reform" appeared in what we call today a manifesto was when Keir Hardie penned his list of desired legislative and social change for the United Kingdom at the end of the 19th century. Through the decades since, Highland socialists have kept the flag flying for land reform when it was not a fashionable cause to embrace.

If we fast forward to the latter end of the 20th century, it was with the election of a Labour Government in 1997 that an age-old aspiration became a legislative reality. In my constituency today, some 70 per cent of the Western Isles population live on community-owned estates and some 40 per cent of the Western Isles landmass is in community ownership. It is worth remembering that politics ensured that people and communities consigned the dead hand of landlordism to history.

In recent years, I have had the privilege of attending the first and subsequent meetings in four communities in my constituency at which people have gathered to discuss the possibility of buying their land. Thankfully, three of those communities' areas are now in community ownership—North Harris; South Uist, where the position was finalised at the end of last year; and, as the minister mentioned in his speech, Galson, where the situation was finalised 12 days ago. I hope that Pairc in the district of Lochs will join the ever-expanding family of community-owned estates.

The intention following the passing of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was to complement land reform legislation with appropriate reform of crofting legislation. As we know, crofting is a regulated form of tenure. One deficiency of the existing regulation system is that the regulator—the Crofters Commission—has failed to intervene. Over the years, it has allowed the marketisation of crofts to continue unabated.

One of the clear and straightforward issues that witness after witness presented in community after community that the committee visited at stage 1 was the concern throughout the crofting communities that land that should be subject to proper regulation was and is being bought and sold as if it were freehold. To its credit, the Scottish Executive recognised the weaknesses in its first draft. That took some time, but at least we got there. It is right that the bill was subjected to major surgery.

What we are passing makes eminent sense. The minister, Nora Radcliffe and Maureen Macmillan have listed the issues that will be properly addressed. For example, creating new crofts but not giving people who will have tenancy of those crofts the right to buy them is laudable, particularly in the island of Arran, where we are righting an historic wrong. It is also encouraging that ministers will—if they have not already done so—direct the Crofters Commission and urge it to get on with exercising its existing responsibilities and rights to regulate the sale of crofts.

I am delighted to support the bill in the sure and certain knowledge that a committee of inquiry is being established. As Maureen Macmillan said, Professor Mark Shucksmith will chair that committee. He comes with an excellent pedigree as he was the adviser to the Justice 2 Committee when it considered the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. The committee of inquiry will engage with those of us who live in the crofting communities and crofting counties and will present properly constructed proposals to a subsequent Parliament.

Rob Gibson—the dear fellow—wittered on and claimed to be an expert on matters crofting. It is interesting to note that he has yet to attend one meeting in the Western Isles at which communities have set about putting in place historic changes. It is also worth noting that he never fails to issue a press release on the day when a community celebrates. He does so with great expertise and oozes vomitgenic bilge as is his wont.

It is worth recording that the Environment and Rural Development Committee's stage 1 report led to major changes of emphasis in the Crofting Reform etc Bill. That is a credit to the committee's former convener, who will literally have the last word on the bill. I am delighted to support the bill.