Chamber and committees

The last case we are aware of where land was sought to be divided under the act was Macandrew v Crerar¹ in 1929. In this case the land was held not to be commonty and so the act did not apply.

The act and Macandrew v Crerar were cited in Fearnan Partnership v Grindlay² in 1992, but this case was concerned with common grazing rather than commonty and the reference to the act was brief.

1. 1929 S.C 699.

2. 1992 S.C (H.L) 38.

There is a grant for owners and users of private water supplies of up to £800 per property to assist with the capital cost of improving treatment to help ensure the provision of safe drinking water. It does not cover the ongoing maintenance and operating costs of treatment. The scheme is administered by the local authorities on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08107 on 28 June 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08107 on 28 June 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08107 on 28 June 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08107 on 28 June 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08107 on 28 June 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving language learning in Scotland and welcomes the far-sighted and ambitious Languages Working Group Report published on 17 May, Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 Approach. The report’s headline recommendation on a much earlier start to learning another language is particularly welcome. Work will now be taken forward on a pilot project programme in the 2012-13 school year to demonstrate how the 1+2 model can best be implemented within Curriculum for Excellence. Ministers will respond formally to the report’s 35 recommendations in the autumn, including those covering how local authorities can best deliver language learning, promote language teaching as a career, coordinate primary and secondary language teaching and use cultural organisations and language communities in schools. The Government is also committed to getting the most from the Foreign Language Assistant Programme in Scotland and is funding British Council Scotland to promote the value of language assistants to local authorities who are responsible for employing them in their schools.

The Scottish Government is working closely with the Registers of Scotland and the Crofting Commission to develop the new Crofting Register, to be held by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland under Part 2 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, which will provide legal certainty on the extent of, and interests in, croft land.

The work in developing the new register is ongoing and includes consultation with key stakeholders and expected users of the register on a variety of issues, including the content of the register, the application processes, application forms and guidance. As well as meeting the full costs of developing and introducing the Crofting Register, the Scottish Government is also providing £100,000 towards reducing the cost of registration for groups submitting 10 or more crofts for registration at the same time. The Government is also providing a further £100,000 towards the preparation of applications and registration of common grazings on the new register and is working closely with the Crofting Commission on this project.

The Scottish Government is preparing the third commencement order for the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 to commence the provisions relating to the new register. This is expected to be laid before the Scottish Parliament shortly after the 2012 Summer Recess and will be followed by a Registers of Scotland Fees Order and Rules. Subject to Parliamentary approval, this should allow the register to be publicly available for registration of croft land towards the end of this year.

The information requested is not held centrally. The current Register of Crofts is administered on behalf of Scottish Ministers by the Crofting Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Crofting Commission to respond to you directly with the information you have requested.