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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 6 July 2025
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Displaying 5973 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

Don’t do this to me, Tim. We are on amendment 216, which has been debated with amendment 488.

Amendment 216 moved—[Tim Eagle].

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

The result of the division is: For 3, Against 4, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 478 disagreed to.

Amendments 479 and 480 not moved.

Amendment 481 moved—[Mark Ruskell].

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

The question is, that amendment 481 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

When we were taking evidence during stage 1, there seemed to be an appetite—certainly when we spoke to the smallholders—for an agriculture law rather than the creation of new legislation to strengthen old legislation that was perhaps failing. Why did you discount that, and why do you think that what you propose is better when every iteration that I have seen of changes to the crofting acts has added problems and created further confusion and further dilemmas about which act to respond to with regard to crofting?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

The question is, that amendment 216 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

The result of the division is: For 2, Against 5, Abstentions 0.

Amendment 216 disagreed to.

Amendment 217 not moved.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

The result of the division is: For 1, Against 5, Abstentions 1.

Amendment 482 disagreed to.

Amendment 483 moved—[Mark Ruskell].

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

I am sure that Monica Lennon will respond to the following points when she winds up. To correct Michael Matheson, which I do not do without being careful, the Crown Estate has estates on land as well as at sea. Those estates are spread across Scotland and are not only agricultural. The Crown Estate has other interests as well.

I tend to agree with Monica Lennon that Crown Estate reform was probably overdue when it was carried out. It is a journey that we are only part of the way through, and we are waiting to see its full effects. I have long argued about the issue of which organisation should realistically get the income from ScotWind and whether that should be Crown Estate Scotland or the Scottish Government. The sale of a long-term lease is actually revenue, so a percentage is kept by the Crown Estate and a percentage goes to the Government, and capital has to be reinvested back by the Crown Estate into the estate itself.

I am taken by the fact that, 19 years ago, Bidwells—I declare that I worked there then—managed Crown Estate lands in a part of Scotland. It was interesting due to the complexity of the management of those lands, which was not carried out by the Crown Estate but by surveyors and by several firms around Scotland. That ensured that there was the capacity to manage the land. I strongly question whether local authorities would have the scope to carry out the management of the Crown estate foreshore if that were to be passed over to them.

I also agree with the deputy convener that, when it comes to the management of the Crown estate, it is good that that is done by a central body across Scotland. That means that there is no dubiety and that there are not the huge variations that there could be in, say, how much local authorities charge for even a minor thing such as the mooring of a buoy on the seabed .

I am nervous about the amendments. I can see why they might be attractive, but maybe the cabinet secretary can set all our minds at rest. We come to you now, cabinet secretary.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

I thank the cabinet secretary, and I come back to Mercedes Villalba to press or withdraw amendment 381.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee [Draft]

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 18 June 2025

Edward Mountain

I could get myself confused here, because the cabinet secretary had finished, and I let Rachael Hamilton ask another question. Rachael, you will, of course, get an opportunity to wind up and press or withdraw your amendment and, at that point, if you ask the right questions, you could maybe tempt the cabinet secretary to come back in.

I ask you to wind up and indicate whether you wish to press or withdraw amendment 478.