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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 21 December 2024
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Displaying 4180 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

Monica, do you want to ask anything about that? I cannot remember.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

Okay. I will bring in the deputy convener first.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

Is there a solution—other than simply not having a land and communities commissioner? Who would become the adjudicator of good taste?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

Welcome back to the meeting. We go straight to Monica Lennon for the next questions.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

I see Sarah-Jane Laing looking up.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

If the land and communities commissioner were appointed, as per the bill, would he or she have to have specialist skills to enable them to do lotting? You should be careful about how you answer that. You might offend lots of people who do the job that I used to do, who thought that they were experts in lotting. If the Government pushes on with the land and communities commissioner, should he or she have specialist skills?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

That is an interesting point. It was an issue that was struggled with for the farm payment scheme when there were two different holdings separated by a long distance. Provided that there was commonality of machinery, the people working on the holdings and the management of the holdings, they were considered as one holding. Would there be merit in looking at that example in relation to this, or did the generality of what the deputy convener was saying capture the right way to do this?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

Just before we leave this subject, I note what Sarah-Jane Laing mentioned about crofting and the implications of the measures.

I am not clever enough to work out the legislation. If somebody wanted to decroft his or her croft, that would possibly count in the same way as a sale from an estate because a statutory sum would need to be paid. Similarly, an apportionment of common grazings, which we all know is just a dot on a map to represent somebody’s share, could trigger the section in question. When it comes to crofting—and it is sad that we do not have a crofting representative on the panel, although I hope that we will have one in the future—I am not sure whether a croft transfer from one member of the family to another would trigger that section. Do you have any views on that point or any concerns that those situations might trigger that section? Should we be looking at that?

11:30  

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

To be clear, the lotting would not sit with that person; it would go to a specialist, who would advise the Scottish Government. That is my understanding. Is that correct?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Edward Mountain

Does anyone want to add to that? Gemma, were you about to jump in?