Chaotic scenes as crofting reform voted in

Published on Thursday 1 July 2010 15:03

A MOVE to scrap plans for a map-based register of every croft in Scotland was voted down by MSPs yesterday.

• The new legislation aims to tackle absenteeism and neglect, but has its critics. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The register is one of the controversial elements of the Crofting Reform Bill, which was approved by Holyrood after six years of consultation.

The legislation, which aims to tackle absenteeism and neglect of crofts and end to speculation of croft land, was finally given the go-ahead after MSPs negotiated more than 200 amendments.

Amid farcical scenes in the chamber, the debate had to be suspended following a heated row over voting.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats joined in condemning the register which the Scottish Government said would create a "clear and unambiguous" record of land in crofting tenure and provide greater security for all those with an interest in the land.

But Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Peter Peacock branded it "unworkable and unnecessary".

He claimed it would cost crofters up to 130 to pay for their entry and up to 1,000 to have an accurate map produced, to advertise the registration in a local newspaper and for representation at the land court if any of their neighbours dispute the boundary.

Mr Peacock said the new map register would not replace an existing register: "This new double registration system, which will take upwards of 40 years to complete, has little or nothing to do with better supporting crofting."

Labour's Sarah Boyack added: "Crofters have experience of double-tagging sheep, now they are to be double registered, and will pay for the dubious privilege."

Orkney's Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur also condemned the register. He said: "The government has estimated the capital cost is up to 1.5 million, with project costs and ongoing costs to be borne by crofters.

"The case for such a proposal was never particularly strong, in the current climate pursuit of such a register seems verging on reckless."

Environment minister Roseanna Cunningham said registration would cost individual crofters about 100 each. Subsidised group registrations would reduce the cost to individual crofters by about 20 per head.

She said the proposal would create for the first time a proper, accurate, legal, reliable and map-based register of land held in crofting tenure.

She said: "The benefits to crofters in the long term and to society significantly outweigh those costs, and the most basic requirement is provided: clarity about what land is croft land and who has the rights and responsibilities for that land."

Labour's amendment was defeated by 66 votes to 59.

The legislation will reform the Crofters' Commission to allow elected board members and a strengthening of powers to prevent the loss of croft land, and reduce absenteeism, where a crofter lives away from the croft.

The average absentee rate is about 10 per cent among the near 18,000 crofts.

The new law will also be expected to address speculation through "robust assessment" of applications to decroft.