Major changes required to Land Reform Bill, ministers told

Ministers have been told “significant change” is needed to land reform legislation if it is to deliver on the Government’s “ambitious policy objectives”.

After scrutinising proposals in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, MSPs said ministers had been right to bring forward legislation – claiming efforts had been needed to “kick-start” a land reform process that is “at risk of stalling”.

But looking at the measures in the Bill, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee said: “Significant change will be needed to ensure they actually deliver against the Scottish Government’s ambitious policy objectives.”

The Bill was introduced by the Scottish Government in part to help reduce the concentration of rural land ownership, where small numbers of people own large areas of Scotland’s countryside.

The legislation seeks to increase opportunities for community buyouts of land, and also when large estates are put on the market ministers could break up this land – in a process known as lotting – into smaller areas, if certain conditions are met.

However the committee report said the changes to allow more community buyouts “are unlikely to accomplish much on their own”.

They added that tests set in the Bill on lotting decisions should be “reconsidered” to ensure it is clear public interest will be at their heart.

Committee convener Edward Mountain said only 8% of those submitting views to the committee “thought that the Bill in its current form would fulfil the Scottish Government’s objectives”.

He added the Government’s own independent advisers at the Scottish Land Commission “also agree the Bill needs substantial changes” when it comes back for amendments.

Mr Mountain said: “This is a large and complex Bill which proposes fundamental changes to the way land is managed in Scotland, and it is crucial that it strikes the right balance.”

While a majority of the committee backed the general principles of the Bill, Mr Mountain and fellow Conservative MSP Douglas Lumsden did not.

Meanwhile Scottish Land & Estates chief executive Sarah-Jane Laing said: “The report endorses our view that this Bill in its current form is flawed and won’t deliver benefits for rural Scotland.

“Time and again we see the only answer to land reform from Government is to throw more legislation at it – and the result we get is unworkable.

“The proposed lotting provisions pose a serious threat to investment in Scotland’s rural land and are fraught with legal difficulty and unnecessary costs for businesses and taxpayers.”

Rural Affairs and Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Land reform is a journey towards greater fairness and opportunity. This Bill will strengthen the rights of rural communities by giving them greater involvement in decisions about the land on which they live and work.

“It will better ensure that Scotland’s land is transferred and used in ways that take account of local needs – supporting more diverse land ownership and ensuring a level playing field for our small landholders and tenant farmers.

“I welcome that the majority of the NZET committee have recommended Parliament support the general principles of this Bill and we will continue to work with all interested parties as it progresses.”