Allotments, Community Gardens and Grow-your-own Projects
The next item of business is a members' business debate on motion S3M-5087, in the name of Jim Tolson, on allotments, community gardens and grow-your-own projects. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society in its role supporting allotment holders and community gardens in Scotland, encouraging the development of new sites, enhancing biodiversity and preserving skills in gardening; acknowledges the valuable work carried out by other organisations in the promotion of community gardens and grow-your-own projects; recognises the links between green space, activity and good health and the social, financial, environmental and health benefits of gardening and growing one's own food; highlights the need to protect and enhance green spaces, particularly in urban and deprived areas; notes that Crossford Community Council, in conjunction with Crossford Allotment Association and the Carnegie Trust, is investigating the provision of land for allotments, community gardens and social enterprise, and hopes that local authorities and other public bodies examine ways of transferring land to local communities to be used for such projects.
As a keen gardener, I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the debate. I thank the 44 MSPs—at the most recent count—who have supported the motion.
I am sure that all will be aware of the increasing demand for allotments and community gardens throughout Scotland. According to recent figures produced by the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, Scotland has 7,000 allotment plots available this year, which works out at one plot per 700 people. England has 235,000 plots available; in other words, one plot per 170 people. That contrasts starkly with the situation in 1945, when Scotland had 90,000 plots, or one plot per 60 people. At the moment, 55 per cent of sites are outwith Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen—in other words, outwith the main centres of population. More than 70 groups throughout Scotland are seeking land for new sites. Those figures set the scene.
Encouraging the provision of more allotments and community gardens throughout the country will contribute to the Scottish Government's agenda. First, there is climate change. By increasing the amount of food that we grow in this country, we will contribute by reducing food miles, and emissions from food production. We could eat more seasonal food, which has travelled fewer miles.
Most people will have heard of the Fife diet, which aims to encourage as many people as possible to source their food locally and seasonally, reducing carbon emissions and changing attitudes to food. Grow-your-own projects can certainly contribute to improving the health of the nation. They can produce health benefits through improving diets, and gardening benefits people's wellbeing and mental health.
"Growing Scotland", which was produced by the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society, states:
"Forty per cent of Scottish therapeutic gardening projects are mental health projects and recognise that physical and mental health are inextricably linked. One of the most frequent comments people give for choosing gardening activity is that it helps them to combat stress.
Promoting horticulture and supporting the provision of new allotments, community gardens and therapeutic gardens would have a very large effect on the health and well being of the nation."
From an education point of view, we have eco-schools and the curriculum for excellence, and many schools now encourage pupils to have a go at growing their own food. For many pupils, that is the first time that they have the chance to try to grow plants and to try really fresh food straight out of the ground. The provision of more community gardens would help to introduce more young people to gardening and to preserve gardening skills that, in the past, would often have been passed down from one generation to the next—that happened in my case. That will lead to community cohesion. Where better can community relations be improved than in community gardens and allotments that attract and encourage a range of people of different ages and backgrounds to meet and work together on projects?
Growing your own produce has economic benefits. Peter Wright of the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society has produced figures that illustrate the yield of the typical allotment. Food can be provided for six months of the year for a family of four, with some to spare and give away. Experienced growers grow vegetables, herbs and flowers all year round. We should certainly encourage grow-your-own projects throughout the country. A number of organisations—some of which are represented in the gallery today—seek to encourage such projects in various forms. There are two active allotment groups in my constituency, and at least two more are seeking sufficient land to set up more allotments. I am sure that other members will talk about the issues that affect their areas.
In Dunfermline, the Whirlbut Street allotment site has been active since 1926. I met its current chairman, Ray Henderson, and other plot holders last Friday. Ray told me that there is a four to five-year waiting list for its plots. A similar picture prevails at Admiralty Road allotments in Rosyth. At the weekend, I spoke to many members of the group there at a committee meeting, including an old workmate of mine, Jock Howatt.
There are such problems throughout Fife, not only in Dunfermline West. There were 377 names on the Fife-wide waiting list, and I am sure that that number will have risen by now. From April this year, Fife has had an allotment strategy in place. Peter Howden of Fife Council, who is very supportive on the issue and is in the gallery today, is due many thanks for that. Indeed, I understand that nearly 50 tickets for the debate were booked in advance and that many others have turned up on the day. There must be nearly 100 people in the gallery. That is a strong indication of the importance of the subject to the people of Scotland.
Crossford allotment association is to establish allotments on the site of a former council nursery in my constituency. The community enterprise route has been suggested for that site. That would allow funding assistance to be provided for the project.
A problem prevails throughout the country, not just in Fife. The Scottish Government recognises the role that growing your own food can play in its national food and drink policy. We need to encourage other bodies, including health boards, to release land, perhaps on short leases, for use in such projects. There are examples of bodies, including NHS Lothian, that are seriously considering such issues. Surely it is better to use land that is not required at the moment for development for community use.
The benefits of allotments to the individual, the family and the community cannot be overstated. Allotment gardening is a low-cost activity that improves the health of those who take part in it and fosters better community relations between people with similar interests. Truly, it is a win-win situation for all. However, there is a problem in the loss of sites, a long-term focus on building on every plot of land and an unwillingness among some public and private agencies to release land for community use. All those factors have stifled the availability of allotments. I believe that there is not enough focus on the availability of plots to meet the high demand that exists for allotments. Local authorities, health boards, the Forestry Commission Scotland and other public bodies could allow small areas of land to be used for such purposes, providing regular rental income to the owners and reducing or even removing the huge waiting lists. I hope that, when the minister sums up the debate, she will assure members that she will do all that she can to encourage public agencies in Scotland to release land for community use.
We now come to the open debate. I ask members to try to come in under four minutes, so that we can get everyone in. Because it is lunch time, I am reluctant to extend the debate.
I congratulate Jim Tolson on securing this important debate. I hope that it serves to galvanise and drive forward our current thinking on the provision of allotments, community gardens and green spaces. As Jim Tolson has said, there are organisations throughout Scotland that are dedicating their time and energies to the promotion and encouragement of establishing green spaces for all uses. I, too, congratulate the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society on its efforts.
I also highlight the work of organisations such as NVA and the Glasgow allotments forum, which work constructively with other organisations and the local authority and have been successful in influencing current thinking on the future direction of the provision of allotments. Glasgow City Council recently presented its allotments strategy for 2009 to 2013 to the group. I sincerely hope that the overarching aim of creating an inclusive, vibrant community of allotment gardeners that will contribute to the wellbeing of the citizens of Glasgow will be realised. Of course, for that to happen in Glasgow and throughout Scotland, all stakeholders must work together in a constructive manner to achieve that aim.
However, the recent experience of people in North Kelvin has not filled many in Glasgow with optimism. The council's attempt to have the local people forcibly removed from the land that they have been using to grow their own food, without proper consultation or discussion of alternatives to the forcible removal of those people, goes directly against its stated aims. Although the council states in its strategy that it is guided by national legislation and public duties, it has acknowledged that, because of the archaic nature of the legislation on allotments, the statutory duty on local authorities to provide allotments is open to interpretation. Given that admission, I would be interested to know the minister's interpretation of the duties on councils. I hope that she will also explain what recourse citizens would have if they believed that a local authority was not fulfilling those duties. If the minister accepts that the current legislation is open to interpretation, will she support a review of the legislation in order to address the uncertainties that exist not just in Glasgow but throughout Scotland?
Let us not forget that we are trying to empower individuals and local communities to provide for themselves and, as Jim Tolson has said, to teach future generations the essential skills of not just gardening but self-determination. Historically, due to many factors that warrant a separate debate, our sense of community and belonging has been eroded to such a point that many people now feel disconnected from the community in which they live. In areas such as those that we have spoken about in Jim Tolson's constituency and in Glasgow, allotments can act as a focal point at which the community can come together and rediscover the values on which we in Scotland pride ourselves. That must also be seen as a fundamental aim of any national policy on the provision of green areas.
I look forward to receiving the minister's responses to my questions either today or later, in writing, if she does not have the information to hand.
I thank Jim Tolson for lodging the motion, which highlights the many benefits that people and communities derive from being involved with allotments and community gardens. He touched on a lot of the issues in his opening speech. Because time is limited, I will take a few minutes to highlight the work of the Cumbernauld allotments association in my constituency. Like others across Scotland, it is a thriving group that is made up of people who garden for pleasure, for food and to keep fit and healthy, as they enjoy the walk to the allotments in the morning and the company of the people whom they meet there. Allotments provide a host of benefits to individuals and communities.
Like other allotment sites across the country, the one in Cumbernauld could do with more space. There always appears to be a waiting list. Often, a waiting list for membership of an organisation is a good sign, but when people are on such a list for years, it can be quite frustrating. It makes it particularly difficult to get young people involved, as they will move on and do other things with their lives. I encourage all councils to make additional space available for the very good projects that are operating in their areas.
The Cumbernauld allotments association involves itself with the community, particularly in schools. As I go around primary schools in my constituency, I often meet volunteers from the association who are doing work with eco-school committees. They show young people how to prepare the ground for planting, how to grow vegetables and fruit and even how to prepare soup with the vegetables that people have grown themselves. Sitting around a table and enjoying the produce that people have seen planted, grown and prepared is a good experience from the perspective of the volunteers and from the perspective of some of the young people who perhaps think that carrots and turnips simply come from Tesco. We should encourage that work.
I hope that the minister will be able to give some warm Christmas cheer to all the people across the country who are involved with allotments and community gardens.
I congratulate Jim Tolson on securing the debate. I absolutely agree with the motion. As the minister and others know, I have been pressing for a summit meeting of local authorities and other interested parties to see whether a way can be found to release more land for allotment development to satisfy an increasing demand, with the shortfall in provision standing at around 6,300 plots.
Of particular interest to me are the health benefits that derive from gardening. It provides exercise in the open air, which we can take at our own pace, so it is suitable for all ages. It helps to relieve stress, and is of proven benefit to mental health and wellbeing. Not only does locally produced food contribute to healthy eating, helping to combat the risks of obesity and the sedentary lifestyles of many people today, it tastes better and, as Jim Tolson said, helps to reduce our carbon footprint. Cultivated land is beneficial to the environment aesthetically and it also helps in attracting wildlife.
The Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society has done a great deal to support allotment holders and community gardens in Scotland, and there are already many initiatives that encourage local food-growing projects. We heard about a number of them in a recent debate on the central Scotland green network, and I have encountered good work in Aberdeenshire, such as the horizon project in Stonehaven, which has taken on responsibility for the floral displays in the town, which the council can no longer afford to pay for. There is also a community council initiative in Kincardine O'Neil, near Aboyne, which has produced beautiful floral displays in the summer and is now extending its efforts into spring flowers as well. Further, many local schools in my area have their own vegetable gardens.
There must be many pockets of land in public ownership—land owned by councils, health boards or Network Rail, for example—that could be allocated for use as allotments or community green space. That would bring significant benefits not only environmentally but economically, as it could raise some rental income while relieving the owners of the need to clean up and tidy unsightly pockets of ground.
I have no doubt that many householders in housing schemes would be willing to have at least part of their gardens looked after and cultivated by people in the area who are more able than they are or enthusiastic about gardening.
I was pleased in October when the Minister for Environment responded to my question asking her to consider organising an allotment summit by saying that such a summit is already under active consideration. I ask her to let us know what progress has been made on that.
Aberdeen City Council has recently drawn up an allotments policy action plan, which it hopes to develop during the next three or four years. That has generated a number of questions from a constituent of mine, who is present in the public gallery today, about the regulation of allotments under the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892. It appears that there is a need for clarification of that legislation. According to my constituent, councils throughout Scotland appear to be ignorant of the provisions of the 1892 act. I ask the minister to undertake to have her officials examine that legislation to ascertain whether it is fit for purpose in the 21st century, or whether it needs tweaking to bring it up to date. My constituent could give some input on the current interpretation of the law, as illustrated by his recent experiences in Aberdeen. I will contact the minister directly about that matter outwith today's debate.
The issues that Jim Tolson's motion raises are important, and I hope that action will be taken soon to meet the demand for land that can be used for allotments and community gardening.
I congratulate my colleague Jim Tolson on bringing the debate to the chamber. It is a truism that we have a shortage of available land, but it seems, based on anecdotal evidence and some constituency work, that land is available.
One of the barriers that I seem to encounter occasionally, if not frequently, is the challenge that is posed by statutory consultees on planning applications. I am aware of a number of cases in which organisations have bid for land that is seemingly derelict or not being used, but their desire to create allotment space and community gardens on that land is impeded by the statutory role of various public bodies. Although I acknowledge the need for those bodies to have that right, we need to balance that with the desirable outcomes to which Jim Tolson and other members have referred—the joys, health benefits and other benefits of gardening and allotments.
My only question to the minister on the subject is whether we can find a methodology for giving guidelines to those statutory consultees that will give them a bit of latitude. Recently, a decision on an application for allotments in Bothwell was called in, and the minister found in favour of the people who wanted to set up allotments and community gardens, for which I thank her. That is a clear indication of how successful the process can be, but the problem is that it takes such a long time. We need to find a way to get things happening quickly.
Cathie Craigie referred to a group in her constituency of Cumbernauld. Although I have some acquaintance with that group, I am also involved with another organisation in Cumbernauld, which had a small piece of ground next to a building that it owned on an industrial estate. After a fight with the planning authorities, of the type that I have just referred to, the group got permission to create two allotments. We had 85 people asking for one of those two pieces of ground. That indicates the scale of enthusiasm for such projects.
Local authorities do not consistently do enough to promote the allotment agenda, and they are not consistent in making land available. I encourage the minister to address a couple of those issues in her closing remarks, and, perhaps more important, in communications with the local authorities.
I congratulate Jim Tolson on raising this important topic in a members' business debate and stealing just about everything that I was going to say in my speech. As an historian, of course, one remembers the Scottish past, and the debate reminds me that one of the great ways in which imperialism advanced in the previous century was through Scottish gardeners going abroad. No sooner had the redcoats gone back to their ships than there was a Scotsman sticking in a tree or a plant in Ceylon or Singapore. That great tradition emerged in literary terms in such great creations as Mr McGregor, who nearly made Peter Rabbit into a pie, and P G Wodehouse's Angus McAllister, who is the origin of the famous phrase,
"It is never difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine."
He was the gardener, of course, to Bertie Wooster.
It seems odd that, at a time when we discuss the scarcity of land, one sees from the train great acres of set-aside land in which the yellow flower of the ragwort, which is actually a toxic flower, is blooming. It seems odd that we have got out of control in that way. To go back to what Voltaire said at the end of "Candide", we have to cultivate our garden again. I suggest that we try at least informal approaches to those great landlords in Scotland who have huge amounts of unused land. Think about the areas of land around railway stations—which are owned by Network Rail—that just have weeds growing on them. Those who travel on the continent will know that, there, such areas are often made up into little Kleingarten or Schrebergarten where people can not just grow plants but sunbathe in the summer—when we have summer. They can also use them for family excursions, barbecues and that sort of thing. That is an important element and we ought to follow it up.
We should also think about what goes into the garden and what comes out of it. What should go into it is the huge amount of compost that many people accumulate. In my part of the Borders, we have colossal green wheelies for compost, which gets carted off to some unknown destination. The emphasis should be on getting people to compost their own stuff locally and, if they cannot use it in their own garden, as a lot of elderly people cannot, we should have the means for them to barter or trade it with people who can use it on their allotments.
My final point is that what comes out of the garden is food that can be preserved. One of the most moving—and in fact almost chilling—experiences that I have had was while I was teaching in Russia in 1997. It was evident, because they told me, that the townspeople of the city of Perm in the Urals had survived because of the food that they grew in the summer in their dachas and in the little allotments outside the town and preserved in pickling jars and the like. We all had our zakuski, or hors d'oeuvre, and that was more or less what they lived on. For some people, gardening is not a pleasure but a necessity. Now that we cannot go abroad, it seems, because the airlines are going bust, we may find ourselves having to cultivate our gardens at home again. Jim Tolson has shown us the way forward. I thank him for that.
It is a pity that allotments have not had a great profile in the Parliament of late. I welcome Jim Tolson's motion and the debate that we have had so far. Some excellent points have been made.
If we consider the big issues that we deal with in the Parliament, there is an extent to which allotments, community gardens and gardening can help with some of our biggest issues. We just do not make the connections. For example, we should consider the recession that we are going through; the debate about investment in public services and the value that we get from them, particularly health and education; and the food procurement debate and concerns about food supply and food security, which link to the talks in Copenhagen this week. Allotments will not solve all those big issues, but they have a role to play in helping to tackle some of our problems.
If we take the Copenhagen issue and consider the statistics that WWF has about the carbon footprint of local authorities that relates to food, there is a massive issue there. Although that problem cannot be fixed by allotments and community gardens alone, they could form part of a movement raising awareness of more locally produced food. I would particularly like the minister—who will get her turn in the sun at some point—to examine the regulations on selling food from allotments. At SAGS's June meeting, I was told that, because of many health and safety issues, people are not allowed to sell on produce from allotments, and I certainly think that that very practical matter could be looked at.
In a recession, people will rightly be worried about money and the family finances. They are looking to cut back expenditure and get value for money, and the cost of food is a huge issue for many people who do not have much of a choice in their local shops or access to community food co-operatives. Moreover, for people who might have a lot of time because, for example, they have been made redundant early in life, are on the dole and cannot get back into work, training and the support provided by social networks are vital, and allotments can provide the kind of community support that not only stops people feeling isolated but allows them to make some kind of practical output. Jim Tolson was right to highlight Peter's Produce; I was stunned by the case study, which showed what one man in one garden—and not a particularly massive garden, either—could do in a year, and by the fact that he not only could feed his family but had food left over. If people realised how much can come from a well-run garden, they would be amazed by the various opportunities, the benefits to family health and welfare and so on presented by such activity.
In its "Finding Scotland's Allotments" document, SAGS points out that, during the second world war, there were 70,000 allotments. Those allotments were established as a national priority, and I believe that, with the challenges that we face from climate change, the recession and so on, putting allotments, gardening and the production of local food higher up our agenda would have a marked impact on our communities. As SAGS rightly points out, we simply do not have enough allotments to go round, so we need to look at what more can be done in that respect.
As colleagues have already covered the various health and welfare aspects of this issue, I want to finish with some comments about schools. I believe that the current focus on healthy activity in schools should also include gardening, which could, for example, be linked into the eco-schools project—after all, people love eco-schools—while ensuring a practical output for children. This needs to be made a national priority, particularly for schools in disadvantaged areas where people have no access to gardens—
The member should finish now.
I hope that the minister will respond to the good ideas that have been raised in the debate.
I welcome not only this chance to speak in Jim Tolson's debate on allotments, which is a subject very close to my heart, but the significant number of visitors to the gallery. We politicians should recognise and welcome the growing power of the allotments movement.
It is worth remembering and reiterating that local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient allotments to meet demand; however, despite the recent and helpful development of a number of local authority allotment strategies in Scotland, which could and should form a basis on which to move forward, the duty is too often not taken as seriously as it might be. I hope that, when she responds, the minister will say something about what the Government can do to assist in that respect and tell us how local communities and individuals can enforce their rights under the allotments acts.
As other members have said, the subject of allotments and community gardens is relevant to today's society and can be brought to bear on various important issues, including the promotion of healthy vibrant communities; a renewed emphasis on seasonality, which I think is very important; and education about environmental concerns.
We should take a broad view of the matter. Members have referred, for example, to the use of Network Rail land. I have been privileged to be involved in a number of projects that have sought, with ScotRail support, to beautify local stations. I realise that that is not necessarily the same thing, but it is in the same direction of travel and I feel that a good deal more could be done in that regard.
The demand for allotments far exceeds the supply, particularly in urban areas. I believe that, in Glasgow, there are 26 allotment sites with a total of more than 1,200 plots, all of which are full, yet more than 600 people are on the waiting list. In South Lanarkshire, the area around Rutherglen and Cambuslang, where I live, has very few sites; I think that there is a small site in Rutherglen and another in East Kilbride. A community allotments group is trying to identify a site in some other areas as well, but there are considerable difficulties with that. Hugh O'Donnell mentioned planning. Councils should give allotments greater priority. There is also a big issue with contaminated land in our area. Councils could do a great deal more to support allotments.
It is worth considering the example of the north Kelvin meadow and Clouston Street in the west end of Glasgow. A community group took over a disused green space and made it into a multi-use community space for the residents. They are not allotments, but there are raised beds, a fruit garden, composting facilities and a wild flower plantation. They have made an extremely good job of it and an area that was previously rather neglected is now attractive. Of course, in its wisdom, the city council has not taken the opportunity to move forward with the site; rather, it plans to sell the land, which is in an area of the city in which there is already substantial traffic congestion and a large number of tenemental properties, to a property developer.
Nevertheless, Glasgow City Council recognises the benefits of allotments. I reiterate Sarah Boyack's point about the association between allotments and primary schools, healthy eating, and educating children about the environment and seasonality. The project has been implemented in a number of schools throughout Glasgow. I have visited the allotment at Merrylee, which has links with the local primary school and is a good example of what can be done.
Allotments are an idea whose time has come. They are important in a number of respects and hit the right buttons. They should be supported. I hope that the Government and local authorities will make every effort to support this growing trend.
I thank Jim Tolson for bringing this debate to the chamber today. I would like to reflect on a few of the issues that have been raised. Like other members, I was concerned to hear about what has happened in north Kelvin meadows—it shows that we do not yet have the right mindset about allotments. I hope that more can be done to assist that group.
Edinburgh is particularly good—I believe that it is one of the leaders—but more than 1,000 people are queued up for allotments. One of my most satisfying and pleasant duties during the past 10 years has been to present the prizes at the Edinburgh allotments and gardens society's annual—it could almost be called a fair. Just seeing the children and young men and women, as well as the old pensioners like me, turning up for it is absolutely wonderful.
The therapeutic value of gardens is recognised in Edinburgh through Redhall garden, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and the Suntrap garden out at Gogar, which is currently suffering from a considerable lack of funds, although that case is not for the Government.
The Government should think about the importance of linking allotments to eco-schools. Next year is the international year of biodiversity and eco-schools are celebrating the fact that there are now 1,000 schools with green flags across Scotland, but at the same time the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities is pulling its funding for the grounds for learning initiative, which was the foundation for eco-schools. I urge the minister to engage with COSLA on that negative development.
Sarah Boyack reflected on biodiversity. We should think about the extraordinary biodiversity that is conserved in Scotland's gardens and allotments. More than 200 varieties of potato are being carefully nurtured in people's back gardens and allotments. Hundreds of varieties of apple are being grown in mini orchards. I will have an orchard in our little back garden fairly soon because I believe that, officially, an orchard needs to have seven fruit trees and we already have four; I will buy three trees in the new year.
I urge the minister to engage with COSLA about the grounds for learning initiative and to consider encouraging our councils, councillors and landowners to change their mindset and make a positive presumption in favour of giving over land for community use so that we can build up community and social capital and the health of people in Scotland through allowing them to work the land when it is vacant. That does not mean giving it up for ever; it just means that if land is vacant and nobody wants to buy it or build on it, it should be used for something useful.
I, too, congratulate Jim Tolson on securing the debate, which gives us a further opportunity to acknowledge all the incredibly good work that is done by the Scottish Allotments and Garden Society on what is effectively a shared agenda.
I have already had considerable engagement with many people involved in allotment work and other grow-your-own schemes. I sometimes think that every school in Perthshire is now growing fruit, which is all to the good. I know personally the benefits that growing our own fruit and vegetables can bring. I am happy to donate a jar of my own rowan and apple jelly to anybody who wants to try it. Growing your own is time out with added benefits in food—if you are good enough at what you are doing—fresh air and exercise.
As Robin Harper said, allotments and gardens can also benefit biodiversity, although I sometimes think that the only biodiversity that is being encouraged in my garden is of the slugs-and-snails variety. Allotments and gardens form corridors for wildlife that often do not otherwise exist in built-up areas. That is particularly important for bees. I think we all know that we need to do something proactive about bees. Robin Harper informed me of something that I did not know: that, apparently, seven trees officially constitute an orchard. I am three trees ahead of the game and, as I intend to plant about five trees over the winter, I will join Robin Harper in creating an official orchard.
Many members referred to the fact that allotments also deliver social benefits through, for example, open days, social events, horticultural shows and produce sales. Cathie Craigie in particular mentioned that aspect of allotments. Other members mentioned issues related to social interaction. The aspect of social interaction that struck me in relation to allotments is the intergenerational one, which is extremely important.
I do not think that any member mentioned the enormous recycling benefit of allotments and grow-your-own schemes, which was surprising. Whenever I visit an allotment I see the amazingly inventive use of materials that would otherwise be discarded, which is effectively a diversion from landfill. I saw that particularly at the Springburn allotment that I visited a couple of months ago. That recycling aspect is important, too. If someone is a successful gardener, they not only increase access to affordable, healthy and nourishing food, but do the environment a big favour.
The Government is fully committed to supporting all individuals and community groups who are involved in allotments. As members have acknowledged, allotment provision is the responsibility of local authorities, but I hear the concerns about how the legislation works in practice. If I have a moment, I will come back to that. Other organisations that play a role include Scottish Natural Heritage, the Forestry Commission Scotland, the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, Trellis Scotland and the Lothians national health service. I visited Edinburgh's Bridgend allotments in November to see the excellent work that is being done there through a partnership between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council. When it comes to informal agreements—I think Jim Tolson mentioned those—NHS Lothian is an exemplar of how they can be made to work.
It is important that green spaces, particularly in urban and deprived areas, are protected and enhanced and that we create new ones where possible. Such developments happen in the country, too. For example, Comrie Development Trust in my constituency has effectively built 29 new allotments on land that it got from the Ministry of Defence in a community buy-out. They are effectively private allotments, although they are run by the community. Even in the country there is an enormous demand for allotments.
It is fantastic to hear about the work that is being done by Crossford community council, Crossford Allotment Association and the Carnegie Trust on the investigation of the provision of land for allotments, community gardens and social enterprise in Fife. It is an interesting area of work and I look forward to seeing it develop fully. Perhaps I can come and talk directly to the people involved. That kind of partnership will make a huge difference, and it underpins community cohesiveness. As members will know, Scotland has its first national food and drink policy, which we launched earlier this year. We highlighted the importance of, and our commitment to, grow-your-own initiatives.
We are working with the NHS, Forestry Commission Scotland and SNH to identify land holdings in their name to try to ensure that, wherever possible, land is made available for allotments. Since the autumn of 2008 we have been putting in money, not least of which is the £700,000 through the climate challenge fund, directly to allotments and grow-your-own schemes.
We have set up a grow-your-own working group, which met for the first time on 10 December. I hope that Nanette Milne will note that. The group will look at the idea of a summit. We will ask it to look at legislation, too.
The subject is important to the Government and extremely important to me, given that I am involved in a grow-my-own scheme at home, and I am always happy to get experience when I go round the country visiting others.
The new grow-your-own working group will take forward many points that members have raised in the debate. I am happy to share with members—Nanette Milne in particular—details of what the group plans to take forward. COSLA is on the working group. Many of the issues that members raised today will be explored during working group meetings.
I commend SAGS for all its work. I also commend Jim Tolson for bringing the debate to the chamber.
Perhaps we should have a bring-and-buy sale—or a bring-and-offer-for-free sale, given that health and safety is an issue for the Parliament. We all could bring in produce. That would be an interesting exercise.
Meeting suspended until 14:15.
On resuming—