Current status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 13 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the purpose of the word "furthering" in the amended section 71(1)(j) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill is to introduce a comparative test of sustainable development whereby the proposed operation by the crofting community body is compared with the existing operation and, if not, what the purpose of the word is.
The amendment to section 71(1)(j) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was not intended to introduce a comparative test of sustainable development. The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development explained the purpose of the amendments to the Land Reform Bill, which altered references to sustainable development, to the Justice 2 Committee on 29 October. The relevant comments are recorded at columns 1960 to 1964 of the Official Report of the 37th meeting of the Justice 2 Committee. This is available on the Parliament's website at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/just2-02/j202-3702.htm.