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Of course, we want to remove the barriers that can prevent communities from considering ownership and, ultimately, to make the process as straightforward as possible. We have to make sure that there are checks and balances in place, obviously, so ensuring that we get that balance is critical. However, I think that we can learn the lessons from previous pieces of legislation that have been passed and identify where any of those challenges might be and what might prevent communities from considering ownership as an option.

I think that we are seeing a positive trajectory on community ownership in Scotland. A report that was done in 2021 showed that the amount of assets that were owned by the community had increased by more than 7 per cent on the previous year, and I know that the Scottish land fund is seeing quite a good pipeline of projects coming through, so I think that the appetite is there. We are seeing that clear appetite from communities and things are heading in the right direction. I hope that, through the land reform bill that we will introduce, we will continue to see that positive trajectory.

Thank you, convener. I am pleased to be here with the committee today to outline my priorities in relation to land reform, as well as the environmental matters within my remit.

As we have set out in the new programme for government, we are clear that responding to the climate and nature crises will remain at the very heart of the Government’s approach. They are the existential threat of our times and we are seeing their devastating impacts, particularly on the world’s poorest, with increasing frequency.

We do not underestimate what that change means for daily life, especially during these particularly tough times. Ensuring that our approach is fair and actively tackles inequalities through a just transition is a key element of our planning. However, if managed well, addressing, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and protecting and restoring nature, will also bring us huge benefits. Those are major challenges, but they will also create opportunities.

As highlighted in the programme for government, caring for Scotland’s peatlands is a critical element of our approach to tackling the linked climate and nature emergencies. Our new peatland programme will deliver an increasingly integrated and evidence-led approach to peatland restoration, management and protection.

To that end, the Government has committed £250 million over 10 years to restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030. That will complement the work that we are already doing to address the concentration and transparency of land ownership and to support more communities into land ownership through a new land reform bill.

The bill stems from work done by the Scottish Land Commission, which was established under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, and the consultation that we undertook last year. It will build on existing land reform measures, such as the register of persons holding a controlled interest in land, and complement existing community right-to-buy mechanisms to ensure that Scottish communities derive greater benefits from Scotland’s land. The Scottish Government will help rural communities to take advantage of the opportunities to become more sustainable, productive and prosperous through supporting those good, green jobs in the rural economy. That investment will also play a critical part in Scotland’s just transition to net zero by 2045.

I look forward to our discussion and am happy to take any questions from the committee.

I do not have that information to hand, and I do not know whether George Burgess would have any information on that. However, I would be happy to follow up on that and give the information to the committee.

We talked about the different steps that need to be taken before an interest can be registered and how the process moves forward. Ensuring that we have all the checks in place is important in ensuring that, as far as possible, the community right to buy is exercised sustainably. However, I will look into the matter and provide the information to the committee.

Absolutely.

Yes, absolutely. We also have the “Peatland Code”, but there have been issues with validation of projects through that, which need to be addressed. As I said in a previous response, private investment will be essential in those key areas, going forward. We need to manage that and ensure that we have an integrity-based and values-led market in that respect. Again, we know what the issues are. We are doing what we can to address them and to ensure that we are seeing the restoration rate increase.

The community land leadership group had its first meeting in May this year, so it is still at the early stage of setting out its terms of reference. The group will be a positive forum for sharing challenges and ideas, and looking at any opportunities going forward. The group’s minutes are published online and it will be looking at some of the key issues that communities face and how we assess and monitor our progress, which will be critical work in future. As I say, that work is in its early stages but it will be important as we move forward.

That is a fair point; there are additional barriers, particularly because of the checks and balances I referred to. Those extra steps are there to address the need for balance. If the committee hears evidence that the balance is not quite right, I would be keen to get that information. It is important that we have those protections, for both communities and landowners. I feel that the balance is currently correct and that we have the right steps in place, but I would be more than happy to consider any other information.

Let us look at those applications in particular. Even though the community right to buy was part of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, it came into force in 2018, so it has only had a few years to bed in. It is important to look at those different applications and, of course, every application is assessed on its own merits. The three applications were ultimately unsuccessful for a variety of reasons. In two of them, the landowner was doing work to the land periodically, so it could not be classified as neglected and abandoned. In the other case, in the end, a negotiated transfer of the land was facilitated and funded through the Scottish land fund. Even though the transfer did not go through the process that we are talking about, the mechanism was still there. Ultimately, when it comes to land transfer and acquisition, we would like it to be done through negotiation and agreement.

That would warrant a closer look to see what the barriers are and whether there are criteria that would need to be reconsidered. We will see where the application under consideration gets to but, given that one of them was ultimately successful, I think that it is a positive step. However, it is something that we have to continue to monitor.