Western Isles MSP speaks on crofting reform bill

“Neglect of crofts”

Western Isles SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan, has today spoken in the Scottish Parliament on stage 1 of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Speaking in the debate, Dr Allan said:

“Much has been said, rightly, about the need for renewal in Scotland’s crofting communities.

“The need to ensure that a new generation enter crofting, the need to ensure that crofting is adequately supported, the need  to ensure that crofting is allowed to develop and become more diversified are all vital.

“The Bill that has been debated today is emphatically not the draft Bill which – for very good reasons – caused such anxiety in crofting communities like my own

“The Bill is now significantly different in scope and content from that originally proposed. The Government has consulted extensively and has listened to what crofters have had to say.

“The things which were most controversial in the draft bill – standard securities, area committees and residency requirements – are now gone.

“Instead, the bill focuses on democratising the Crofters Commission and empowering the commission to deal with speculation in and neglect of crofts.

“Crofting today”

“The Parliament’s Rural Affairs Committee has, in its recent report, made a useful contribution to the debate and identified further areas where the Bill might be improved. For instance by reducing further the costs associated with any register through community-based mapping.

“This Bill deserves to proceed to Stage 2, because there is now, I believe, a clear wish for legislation.  We can identify improvements, we can amend and we can debate further.  However, the need for progress and consensus is now clear. If parliament continues to engage with the crofting community itself it stands some chance of providing legislation that will not only command broad support but which will also address some of the problems facing crofting today.”

Hebrides Today brings you the latest news from the Western Isles