Chamber
Plenary, 25 Jan 2007
25 Jan 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Crofting Reform etc Bill
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 somebody is happy. The crofting community up in Galson, which Alasdair Morrison mentioned, must have switched on the renewable energy. I thank all those who were involved in bringing the Crofting Reform etc Bill to this stage. The bill has had a stormy passage or has travelled a rocky road—whichever metaphor we choose to use—but it has survived and we have a bill that I am sure is going to sustain crofting for many years to come.
The ministers, Ross Finnie and Rhona Brankin, had the unenviable task of introducing what was always going to be a difficult piece of legislation. We did not often agree, but I think that we can agree today that we have reached an equitable compromise. I also thank the Environment and Rural Development Committee, which was ably chaired by Sarah Boyack. She took the committee out into the crofting communities on the periphery to listen to their views and concerns. I thank all those people from the crofting communities who gave evidence to the committee on its travels around the country.
The report that was produced by the committee clerks—I make special mention of Mark Brough—is an excellent document, which has resulted in an acceptable and appropriate bill being presented today. I think that the bill will be welcomed by the crofting communities and I hope that it will sustain their viability for many years to come. I also thank the Scottish Crofting Foundation, especially Patrick Krause and Becky Shaw, as well as all those who came along to the cross-party group on crofting. They all helped us to arrive at where we are today. The assistance that the members of the cross-party group gave me in chairing the group and the evidence that the group received were invaluable.
A major outcome of the introduction of the bill has been the establishment of a committee of inquiry on crofting that is chaired by Professor Mark Shucksmith. The hope is that the inquiry will address all the issues that have been of concern to the crofting counties over many decades. In my view, a positive outcome from the committee of inquiry would be that at least 50 per cent of the board of the Crofters Commission would be democratically elected by the crofting community. That would help to ensure that crofting communities throughout Scotland had far more confidence in the body that is tasked to oversee crofting and the legislation that governs it.
Much of the controversy surrounding the bill was brought to a head by the development of housing sites in a small crofting township at Taynuilt, near Oban. The amendments that I lodged were designed to prevent that type of development, which was destroying good agricultural land. The amendments were designed not to prevent development, but to prevent its using so much good agricultural land, as had happened at Taynuilt. There is an undeniable need for housing in the Highlands but, over the past 20 years, far too much housing has been developed on what was considered good croft arable land. In my view, if local authorities or housing associations are to provide housing, it should be built, as far as possible, on the less desirable common grazings land. Also, if crofters are to be expected to provide land for housing, private landowners with huge estates—of which there are plenty in the Highlands—should also be expected to release some of their vast acreage for new affordable housing.
The bill was fairly contentious in its early stages and had a rocky passage. However, it has survived and will make a worthwhile contribution to a successful crofting sector in the years to come. I commend the bill to the Parliament.
The ministers, Ross Finnie and Rhona Brankin, had the unenviable task of introducing what was always going to be a difficult piece of legislation. We did not often agree, but I think that we can agree today that we have reached an equitable compromise. I also thank the Environment and Rural Development Committee, which was ably chaired by Sarah Boyack. She took the committee out into the crofting communities on the periphery to listen to their views and concerns. I thank all those people from the crofting communities who gave evidence to the committee on its travels around the country.
The report that was produced by the committee clerks—I make special mention of Mark Brough—is an excellent document, which has resulted in an acceptable and appropriate bill being presented today. I think that the bill will be welcomed by the crofting communities and I hope that it will sustain their viability for many years to come. I also thank the Scottish Crofting Foundation, especially Patrick Krause and Becky Shaw, as well as all those who came along to the cross-party group on crofting. They all helped us to arrive at where we are today. The assistance that the members of the cross-party group gave me in chairing the group and the evidence that the group received were invaluable.
A major outcome of the introduction of the bill has been the establishment of a committee of inquiry on crofting that is chaired by Professor Mark Shucksmith. The hope is that the inquiry will address all the issues that have been of concern to the crofting counties over many decades. In my view, a positive outcome from the committee of inquiry would be that at least 50 per cent of the board of the Crofters Commission would be democratically elected by the crofting community. That would help to ensure that crofting communities throughout Scotland had far more confidence in the body that is tasked to oversee crofting and the legislation that governs it.
Much of the controversy surrounding the bill was brought to a head by the development of housing sites in a small crofting township at Taynuilt, near Oban. The amendments that I lodged were designed to prevent that type of development, which was destroying good agricultural land. The amendments were designed not to prevent development, but to prevent its using so much good agricultural land, as had happened at Taynuilt. There is an undeniable need for housing in the Highlands but, over the past 20 years, far too much housing has been developed on what was considered good croft arable land. In my view, if local authorities or housing associations are to provide housing, it should be built, as far as possible, on the less desirable common grazings land. Also, if crofters are to be expected to provide land for housing, private landowners with huge estates—of which there are plenty in the Highlands—should also be expected to release some of their vast acreage for new affordable housing.
The bill was fairly contentious in its early stages and had a rocky passage. However, it has survived and will make a worthwhile contribution to a successful crofting sector in the years to come. I commend the bill to the Parliament.
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—