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Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 15 July 2025
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Displaying 2389 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

So there are no other farming unions across Europe that have successfully challenged regulation on the basis of private property rights?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

I was just drawing on your comments at the beginning of the session, when you seemed to imply that you were leaning towards larger landowners, but maybe not.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

Would it come down to guidance, then? Would the detail of the guidance determine whether the approach was too prescriptive or not prescriptive enough?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

I know that there was discussion with the previous UK Government about the introduction of a carbon tax. That was an option at one point, although I am not sure whether it was intended to run alongside an ETS or as a replacement of an ETS.

It would be useful to get your thoughts on whether a carbon tax is now off the agenda and whether everything is now completely focused on an ETS.

I note that Norway also has an ETS—presumably aligned with that of the European Union—but that it also has a carbon tax on both its oil and gas sector and the production emissions from oil and gas. The fact that it has an ETS and a carbon tax means that the industry makes a significant contribution to the Norwegian state.

I am interested in where the discussion is. Is a carbon tax on or off the agenda? Are we simply considering this instrument as the main way to decarbonise?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

I will come to the other witnesses later, but do you have any evidence of how the public interest regulations that put more regulation on land and land ownership have been successfully challenged across Europe?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

Thanks for that. Did you want to comment, David?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

I want to go back to the issue of community consultation on land management. When I was looking at the evidence, I saw NFUS’s comment about

“informal practices that have taken place for generations”

in rural communities. I feel that that sort of thing is probably a bit patchy, having lived in rural areas most of my life. It is probably the case that some good and some not-so-good things happen. To what extent do you believe that voluntary engagement with communities is strong enough to effectively obviate the need for a statutory requirement in the bill? I am interested in your thoughts on that. The convener has already alluded to our visit to highland Perthshire, where we saw some pretty good practice, but we have also heard about some less-than-good practice, some very disengaged landowners and frustrated communities.

Shall we go back round again, kicking off with Sarah-Jane Laing?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

If land ownership in Scotland is more concentrated, an intervention will impact a much smaller number of people than, say, an intervention in Denmark, which would impact a much greater number of people. If a small number of people would be affected, what weighting is that given when considering the impact on the private property interest?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 19 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

That would be useful. David, do you have anything to add?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 November 2024

Mark Ruskell

I see that Michael McLeod wants to come in.