Appointment of the Scottish Land Commissioners and the Tenant Farming Commissioner
In November and December 2016, the Committee considered the Scottish Government's nominations for appointment as the Scottish Land Commissioners and Tenant Farming Commissioner.
Appointment of the Scottish Land Commissioners and Tenant Farming Commissioner
Scottish Land Commission's First Strategic Work Plan
On 3 October 2017, the Committee took evidence from the Commission on the publication of its first strategic work plan.
Following its consideration of the Scottish Land Commission's first strategic plan, the Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary inquiring as to when and how the SLC would be added to the list of organisations required to report on their climate change mitigation activities.
Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill
On 13 June 2017 the Committee wrote to the Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) Committee to advise of the nomination of Claudia Beamish as reporter to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on the land reform aspects of the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill.
On 19 September 2017, the Committee wrote to the Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee setting out its views of the Stage 1 consideration of the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill.
The Committee received a copy of the response from the Scottish Government to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee's Stage 1 Report on the Bill.
Public Bodies Land Registration
Part of the Committee’s role is to scrutinise the Scottish Government’s work in relation to land reform. In May 2017 it visited the Registers of Scotland to learn more about its role in compiling and maintaining 18 public registers relating to land, property, and other legal documents. The Committee was particularly interested to learn of its efforts to complete the Land Register of Scotland.
The Land Register of Scotland is a map-based register which will replace the deeds-based General Register of Sasines. Registers of Scotland is currently working to a 2024 deadline set by the Scottish Government. There is also a requirement for all public land to be registered by 2019. To get an understanding of whether local authorities and NHS Scotland, who own a large proportion of public land in Scotland, are on course to meet this requirement, the Committee wrote to all 32 local authorities as well as NHS Scotland to ask whether they were:
• aware of the requirement to register its property on the Land Register of Scotland by 2019;
• currently taking steps to register its property; and
• confident of completing its registration by 2019.
Read the written responses the Committee has received here.
Correspondence
On 23 June 2017, the Committee received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform providing an update on land reform related legislation, plans to implement the remaining provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 and the related right to buy provisions of the Community Empowerment Act 2015.
Letter received 31 October 2017 Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform on the Land Reform Act 2016.
Letter from the Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform seeking an update on the implementation of the Land Reform Act 2016.
Letter to the Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee from Derek Mackay, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution on non domestic rates for shootings and deer forests 2 November 2017.
Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform 22 November 2017.
Letter from Committee to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport regarding public bodies land registration.
Letter from Committee to Minister for Local Government and Housing regarding public bodies land registration.
Letter to Keeper of the Registers of Scotland regarding public bodies land registration.
Letter to the Chief Executive of COSLA regarding public bodies land registration.
Letter from Keeper of the Registers of Scotland regarding public bodies land registration in response to the letter the Committee sent on 24 November seeking further clarification.
Letter from Minister for Local Government and Housing regarding public bodies land registration.
Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport regarding public bodies land registration.
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity to the Rural Economy and Connectivity and copied into ECCLR Committee regarding their Stage 1 report on the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill.
In May 2018 the Committee considered and agreed a package of SSIs to bring into force a new community right to buy abandoned, neglected or detrimental Land (“Part 3A”). The Committee was concerned that the removal from draft regulations of text relating to the environmental wellbeing of the community would narrow the scope of the regulations. Read the letter from the Cabinet Secretary:
The Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary seeking to assess progress in relation to the Scottish Land Commission’s recent report ‘Investigation into the Issues Associated with Large scale and Concentrated Landownership in Scotland’ and to examine this in the context of the Land Use Strategy for Scotland and the current Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement. Read the letter and response: