Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-11276

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10495 by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2022, what information it holds on whether transfers of land over 1,000 hectares not involving a payment include transfers into Trusts, and how many such transfers occurred in each of the last 10 years.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that transfers of interest relating to properties over 1000 hectares were counted where:

at least one applicant in the application for registration was designated as acting in the capacity of trustee
the transfer of interest is not classified as a full market sale according to the Registers of Scotland property market report methodology

Year	Transfers
2012	1
2013	2
2014	1
2015	8
2016	3
2017	7
2018	18
2019	9
2020	4
2021	9
2022	4

Figures are current on 05 October 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11275

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10496 by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2022, what information it holds on whether transfers of land over 2,000 hectares not involving a payment include transfers into Trusts, and how many such transfers occurred in each of the last 10 years.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that transfers of interest relating to properties over 2000 hectares were counted where:

at least one applicant in the application for registration was designated as acting in the capacity of trustee
the transfer of interest is not classified as a full market sale according to the Registers of Scotland property market report methodology

Year	Transfers
2012	1
2013	1
2014	0
2015	5
2016	3
2017	5
2018	10
2019	5
2020	3
2021	1
2022	1

Figures were current on 05 October 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11277

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10575 by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2022, what information it holds on whether transfers of land over 3,000 hectares not involving a payment include transfers into Trusts, and how many such transfers occurred in each of the last 10 years.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland. She advises me that transfers of interest relating to properties over 3000 hectares are counted where:

at least one applicant in the application for registration was designated as acting in the capacity of trustee
the transfer of interest is not classified as a full market sale according to the Registers of Scotland property market report methodology.

Year	Transfers
2012	0
2013	0
2014	0
2015	0
2016	0
2017	1
2018	8
2019	2
2020	3
2021	0
2022	0

Figures were current on 05 October 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11278

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that Green Freeport status in Aberdeen Harbour would have on the contract for Northern Isles Ferry Services.

As set out in the joint Bidding Prospectus, all green port bidders were required to ensure that their proposal embedded the second National Transport Strategy vision, priorities and outcomes for the transport system with in it as well as ensuring alignment with regional and local transport strategies.

Following selection there will of course be intensive discussions with each of the successful designations on all aspects of their proposals.

Question reference: S6W-11281

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that Green Freeport status would have on the provision of inter-island ferry services in Orkney.

As set out in the joint Bidding Prospectus, all green port bidders were required to ensure that their proposal embedded the second National Transport Strategy vision, priorities and outcomes for the transport system with in it as well as ensuring alignment with regional and local transport strategies.

Following selection there will of course be intensive discussions with each of the successful designations on all aspects of their proposals.

Question reference: S6O-01393

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the survey of participants in 4 Day Week Global’s pilot.

Question reference: S6W-10891

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the analysis of responses to its consultation on A New Deal for Tenants, what engagement it has planned with the tenants' union, Living Rent, on (a) the development of an effective system of national rent controls and (b) emergency financial measures to support tenants during the current cost of living crisis, including a rent freeze.

Following the publication of the analysis of responses to the consultation on A New Deal for Tenants, the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with Living Rent, alongside other key stakeholders, at a roundtable meeting on 25 August 2022.

The Minister also met with Living Rent on 6 September, as part of his one to one conversations with key stakeholders, immediately following the publication of the Programme for Government 2022-23. These meetings included discussions on proposals for rent controls, emergency cost of living measures to support tenants and a rent freeze.

As we move at pace to introduce emergency legislation to implement a rent freeze and moratorium on evictions, we will ensure a continued dialogue with a range of key stakeholders, including Living Rent.

Question reference: S6W-10495

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09839 by Tom Arthur on 11 August 2022, how many land sales in excess of 1,000 hectares (a) there have been and (b) have been registered in each of the last 10 years.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS). She advises me that RoS does not hold information on transfers which may have occurred but for which no registration application has been submitted.

In relation to registrations in each of the last 10 years the position is given in the following table.

These numbers include transfers for value (sales) and transfers which are not for value (such as succession), but do not include voluntary registrations (where a property owner voluntarily moves their property from the Register of Sasines to the Land Register with no change in ownership).

As at 24 August 2022, in total there are 930 titles with an area over 1000 hectares registered in the Land Register of Scotland. A further 135 titles with a provisional extent over 1000 hectares are currently undergoing first registration.

Year	Total Ownership Changes
2012	50
2013	43
2014	38
2015	75
2016	124
2017	153
2018	143
2019	205
2020	149
2021	212
2022	116

Question reference: S6W-10496

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09839 by Tom Arthur on 11 August 2022, how many land sales in excess of 2,000 hectares (a) there have been and (b) have been registered in each of the last 10 years.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS). She advises me that RoS does not hold information on transfers which may have occurred but for which no registration application has been submitted.

In relation to registrations in each of the last 10 years the position is given in the following table.

These numbers include transfers for value (sales) and transfers which are not for value (such as succession), but do not include voluntary registrations (where a property owner voluntarily moves their property from the Register of Sasines to the Land Register with no change in ownership).

As at 24 August 2022, in total there are 545 titles with an area over 2000 hectares registered in the Land Register of Scotland. A further 61 titles with a provisional extent over 2000 hectares are currently undergoing first registration.

Year	Total Ownership Changes
2012	25
2013	36
2014	31
2015	62
2016	104
2017	132
2018	114
2019	152
2020	101
2021	125
2022	65

Question reference: S6W-10575

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09839 by Tom Arthur on 11 August 2022, what information it holds on the annual totals of ownership changes of land over 3,000 hectares broken down by (a) sales and (b) transfers and succession.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS).

Following on from the previous question, figures are provided for the last 10 years, for properties over 3000 ha.

Transfers are divided between sales/leases for the full monetary market value of the property, versus transfers for discounted or non-monetary consideration (e.g. succession).

Year	Full market value transfers (a)	Other transfers (b)	Total transfers
2012	5	8	13
2013	12	21	33
2014	10	12	22
2015	17	25	42
2016	20	50	70
2017	21	77	98
2018	7	93	100
2019	10	106	116
2020	9	78	87
2021	3	97	100
2022	1	53	54

The total figure for 2022 has increased from 53 to 54 since question S6W-09839 was answered, reflecting new activity since the previous data extraction on 22 July.

Figures are current on 26 August 2022.

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