NFUS SEES POTENTIAL IN CROFTING REFORM BILL

NFU Scotland has welcomed the launch the new Crofting Reform Bill in Inverness today (Thursday, 10 December) and looks forward to helping the Scottish Government shape a Bill that truly delivers for active crofters.

The Union believes that the Bill is significantly improved since its publication in draft form in May 2009, but still contains areas of concerns for its 700-crofting members. NFUS has pledged to work with Scottish Government to ensure that the final Bill put forward for parliamentary approval will better tackle issues such as absenteeism and croft abandonment.

Scottish Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham, launched the Bill. Speaking at its launch, the Chair of the Union’s Crofting, Highlands and Islands Working Group, Mrs Jo Durno said:

“The Bill, in itself, will not be the salvation of crofting but it does have the potential to support our objectives of keeping croft land in active crofting.

“Our crofting members have given us a clear steer on legislative changes they think are needed to deliver their vision for crofting in the 21st century. Some of those are addressed in the Bill while others merit further discussion. We are committed to working with the Scottish Government to ensure that the planned legislative changes deliver for active crofters and take crofting communities forward.

“The Minister had already reacted positively to concerns voiced by many of our members prior to today’s publication of the Bill. It was already agreed that an occupancy requirement, which would mean houses built on former croft land have to be used as main residences, would not be included in the Bill. It was also previously confirmed that there are no plans to end the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme and the Croft House Grants Scheme. These are schemes that deliver vital funding into crofting communities.

“These previous announcements addressed some of the primary concerns that our crofting members had expressed when consulted in the summer of 2009 on the draft bill and which we raised in a private meeting with the Minister this summer.

“At the Minister’s request, we have also fed in the thoughts on alternative approaches to tackling thorny subjects such as absenteeism as well as croft abandonment and neglect. NFUS still holds reservations that the Bill fails to properly look at these areas. To help shape the Bill, we will be offering further evidence as Stage 1 of the Bill’s approval proceeds through the Scottish Parliament.”