Tha ceist an fhearainn air gluasad, ach an tig atharrachadh mòr sam bith?

Tha gluasadan air fearann mar busaichean. Tha thu feitheamh fada son aon, ‘s thig an uairsin dhà aig an aon àm.

Chaidh Bile Ath-leasachaidh an Fhearainn a chur air beulaibh na pàrlamaid an-dè.

[English-language version below]

A-thaobh Clàr nan Daoine aig a bheil Ùidh Buadhmhor ann am Fearann, tha e furasta gu leòr a thuigs' carson nach biodh mòran ùidh ann. Tha an tiotal gu leòr airson an duine as fheàrr a chur na shuain-chadal.

Ach bu chòir tòrr a bharrachd mothachaidh a bhith ann mu dheidhinn. Chan eil ach beagan is cola-deug ri dhol gus am feum a h-uile duine air an toir an lagh ùr seo buaidh an gnothach aca a chlàradh gu h-oifigeil, no thèid càin de £5,000 a chur orra.

Tha an clàr mar dhòigh air barrachd solas na grèine a dheàrrsadh air siostam an fhearainn: cò leis a tha dè agus càite, agus cò iad a tha a’ laighe air cùl ghnothaichean.

Cò a-rèisd air an toir an clàr a tha seo buaidh? Tha duilgheadasan laghail mu chò dh’fheumas a dheànamh agus le sin, bu chòirear comhairle iomchaidh a shireadh.

Ach, mar eisimpleir, chan fheum buidheann sam bith a tha air an cruthachadh mar chompanaidh earranta idir a dheànamh, bhon a tha iad sin air an stèidheachadh air gnothach a tha an ìre mhath fosgailte co-dhiù.

Ach, dha oighreachdan mòra a tha air an ruith le urrasan stèidhichte ann an dùthchannan thall-thairis, gu cinnteach, feumaidh, no bu chòir, ged a tha ceist an deàn.

Tha e mar phàirt dhen amas a th’ aig Riaghaltas na h-Alba crathadh buaniteach a thoirt air cò leis a tha am fearann tro bhith ag ath-nuadhachadh an t-siostaim agus e a’ tighinn nuair a chaidh Bile Ath-leasachaidh an Fhearainn a chur air beulaibh na pàrlamaid an-dè.

Tha an clàr na cheum air adhart agus tha cuideachd am pìos a tha anns am Bile a tha ag ràdh nach fhaodar oighreachdan nas motha na mìle heactair a reic gun measadh a dheànamh air dè bhuaidh a bhiodh aige sin air a’ choimhearsnachd.

Tha am Bile cuideachd ag iarraidh air uachdaran an fhearann aca a chur gu feum ann an dòigh a tha “leanntainn prìomhachasan poblachd”, ged a tha furasta fhaicinn gum faod craobhan a bhith nan pàirt dhen sin, rud nach cord idir ri mòran.

Tha an t-airgead airson na sgeamaichean mòra sin a’ tighinn bhon Riaghaltas, ged nach eil na coimhearsnachdan a’ faicinn sgillin dheth.

Tha fhios g’eil tòrr dhen seo air a bhogadh ann an ceistean mòra laghail.

Mar eisimpleir leis an clàr fhèin. Chan eil an càin de £5,000 gu bhith ach airson an aon uair agus dè a-rèisd dhan fheadhainn a tha deònach an cùlaibh a chur ris?

Tha e a’ fàgail a' chunnairt dha na h-oighreachdan mòra, le companaidhean stèidhichte thall-thairis, nach gabh iad feart ris; gum b’ fheàrr leotha an càin de £5,000 a phàigheadh gus fuireach san dorachadas. Abair gum bi ùidh aig luchd nan cìsean ma thig iad a-mach dhan t-solas.

‘S e ceum air adhart a tha anns a' chlàr agus anns am Bile cuideachd. Ach, a-thaobh an atharrachadh bhunaiteach a tha dhìth, chan eil sin idir cho cinnteach, nuair a smaoinicheas thu cho duilich ‘s a tha e air a bhith gu seo adhartas sam bith a dheànamh.

English-language version:

Land reform announcements are like buses. You wait ages, impatiently, for one to come along and then it’s a case of two at once. First, in terms of the more prosaic matter of the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land, it is perfectly understandable that there’s been a lack of awareness, even though it’s been two years in existence. The title itself is enough to send even the worst of insomniacs into a slumber.

But it is worth taking notice. Earlier this week came a reminder that there is a little over two weeks to go for any organisation which the legislation will affect to comply with the instruction to include their details on the new database… or face a fine of £5,000. The register is intended as a means to introduce more transparency into the land-owning system, so that the general public can get basic access to who owns what and where, and what are the controlling influences behind any owning entity.

Along with the Land Reform Bill, introduced to parliament yesterday, it is part of the Scottish Government’s wider ambitions to overhaul Scotland’s antiquated land ownership hegemony through radical reform. There are real legal complexities surrounding the entire issue and most certainly so in the case of the register. For example, organisations which are set up on a limited company basis do not need to comply as they are already deemed to have sufficient transparency. But offshore land-owning trusts definitely will, or definitely should, but probably won’t.

Many of those who need to register have done so, but it was highly instructive that a press statement was issued on Tuesday with the warning that the deadline was fast approaching.

Which neatly brings us onto the real fly in the ointment. The fine of £5,000 is a one-off financial penalty, with no clear guidance over what will happen to repeat offenders. It opens up the possibility that for large land-owning interests run by offshore trusts, where it is almost impossible for the layman to uncover the controlling interest, they may calculate that a mere £5K is a charge worth paying to retain anonymity. Wouldn’t want the taxman’s beady eyes falling on all that information.

But still the register is a step in the right direction, as is the “transfer test” included in the new Bill, which will mean that estates of over 1,000 hectares cannot be sold until ministers consider the impact on the local community. The Bill also places a duty on owners to ensure that the land is put to use for public priorities, though in this case it’s easy to see that an argument can be made for large tree plantations, funded through government support, which will hardly pacify calls for a reforming agenda.

Any progress is, of course, welcome. Whether it will lead to the radical overhaul that’s needed, given the deep-seated historical intransigence in certain corners, and the clear questions that still remain, is another matter entirely.