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I will briefly cover part 2 of the bill, in particular the proposed model lease for environmental purposes, as well as the small landholdings provisions. Donna Smith, you have taken a particular view on this from the federation’s perspective, and we have also had a range of views from stakeholders. Is the proposal that is set out in the bill the right one? If not, why not?

Okay. I call Rhoda Grant.

You feel that there is insufficient reference to crofting in the bill and that crofting should be included much more expressly. How should that be introduced into the bill? Where are the gaps, and how would you like those gaps to be addressed?

I take it from that that you do not, at this stage, know who would fulfil that role. However, it is in the Government’s consultation—it is a proposal from the Government.

I want to clarify a point that you made earlier, Gary, about ministers looking at using lotting to put land into crofting tenure. If ministers had that power, should such lotting be restricted to land in the crofting counties, or should it apply to any parcel of land, even if it is outwith the crofting counties?

Yes, I am happy for us to take that forward, if the cabinet secretary can arrange for that to be provided to the committee.

We have moved on to a theme that other members are interested in, so I invite Monica Lennon to raise her points now.

Thank you very much for your attendance. Your evidence has been a very helpful contribution to the committee’s evidence taking on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. It will help inform our thinking and our stage 1 report, which is due next year.

We now move into private session.

Our third item of business is an evidence session on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. Today, the committee will hear from a panel of crofting representatives. I am pleased to welcome Donna Smith, chief executive, Scottish Crofting Federation; and Andrew Thin, a commissioner, and Gary Campbell, chief executive officer, the Crofting Commission. Thank you for your attendance at committee this morning.

For this item, I am also pleased to welcome Rhoda Grant MSP, who will have an opportunity to pursue some questioning following committee members’ questions.

I will start with a broad question. We are at stage 1—looking at the general principles of the bill. You will be familiar with the policy memorandum associated with the bill and the Government’s objectives for the bill. Do the provisions in the bill, as they stand, go far enough to support what the Government is trying to achieve on greater diversity of land ownership?

That is a good question, and we will save it for the minister when she appears.

Let me take you back to land management plans, which are one of the significant levers in the bill, as it stands. There is a provision in the bill that requires that land management plans be produced—there is an obligation on the landholder to do that. Failure to do so will, potentially, result in a fine. Do you think that the provisions go far enough?

I will expand on why I am asking you whether I think that they go far enough. There might be an obligation on landowners to produce a plan, but there is no obligation on them to do anything with that plan once it has been produced. Should the bill include an express provision that requires a landowner to make progress with their land management plan and any agreed actions that are set out in it?