Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch used a recent (20/01/16) meeting of the Rural Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Committee (RACCE) to welcome his RACCE colleague, Graeme Dey’s amendment, to the Land Reform Bill, which will create a register of persons of significant control in relation to the proprietors of land.

Mr Thompson said, “Transparency is an essential component of Land Reform and I welcome Greame Dey’s amendment to create a register of persons of significant control in relation to the proprietors of land.

“I was struck by the broad agreement right across society that that is essential. One does not need to look far in my constituency at this very moment to find situations in which transparency would be helpful. A couple of estates have changed hands recently. Indeed, one has changed hands in the past few days, where the companies buying them are registered in Jersey and this is not an isolated example. Therefore, it is essential that we have information on who owns land in Scotland”.

Dave went on, “There are also implications on wider issues to do with land use. My understanding is that some of the estates that are being bought now have been used in recent years for agriculture.

“They will no longer be used for agriculture because the folk who are buying them want a big hoose wi a big gairden—10,000 acres—for their private use, and they do not want anything happening on it. The land commission will deal with such issues, because land use, who is buying our land, and what they are going to do with it, is crucially important”.

Note:

Dave Thompson: I agree with the comments on transparency. It is vital that we have transparency on land ownership. I was struck by the broad agreement right across society that that is essential. One does not need to look far in my constituency at this very moment to find situations in which transparency would be helpful. A couple of estates have changed hands recently—indeed, one has changed hands in the past few days—where the companies buying them are registered in Jersey. Those are not isolated examples of the difficulties that we face. It is essential that we have information on who owns land in Scotland. There are also implications for wider issues to do with land use. My understanding is that some of the estates that are being bought now have been used in recent years for agriculture.

They will no longer be used for agriculture, because the folk who are buying them want a big hoose wi a big gairden—10,000 acres—for their private use, and they do not want anything happening on it. The land commission will deal with such issues, because land use, who is buying our land and what they are going to do with it will be crucially important in the future. I, too, wait to hear what the minister will say, but I reiterate that transparency is essential.

Link to RACCE Committee meeting on 20/01/16: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10324&i=94994