Skip to main content

Language: English / GĂ idhlig

Loading…
Chamber and committees

Rural Affairs Committee, 22 Jun 1999

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 22, 1999


Contents


Interests

Mr Munro:

Before we elect the convener, I remind you that we were all required to register our relevant interests by 18 June. I am sure that everyone has done that, but before we proceed I must ask whether anyone has any interest to declare that is relevant to this committee.

Does that include the interests that we declared when we lodged our statements?

I understand that if you declared an interest on your statement that is relevant to this committee, we should hear about it; if you are quite happy with what is on your declaration, that is fine.

Alex Fergusson:

It is only right that I say in the public forum of this committee that I own and farm some 1,600 acres in the south-west of Scotland. Half of that is tenanted out, so I have a landlord's interest as well as an agricultural and farming interest.

Given the present difficulties in agriculture, I do not know whether to commiserate with you. Does any other member have an interest to declare?

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con):

Given that my colleague has declared his involvement in the farming industry, I would like to declare that I, too, am in the farming industry. I own and farm just under 400 acres in the north-east. I am also a member of the National Farmers Union and of the Scottish Landowners Federation.

Mr Munro:

I do not aspire to the great acres that you gentlemen have. I am a crofter, with a small acreage in the Highlands. Anyone who knows anything about crofting will realise—and this is a bland statement—that a croft is a small parcel of land surrounded by legislation.