Tha cruaidh feum air gluasad air margaidh an fhearainn, le Murray MacLeòid

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air co-chomhairleachaidh a chur air dòigh air margaidh an fhearainn.

[English-language version below]

Thàinig na molaidhean bho Choimeisean Fearann na h-Alba às dèidh mar a tha luach nan oighreachd a’ sìor dhol am meud ri linn nan cothrom air airgead fhaighinn airson nithean mar a bhith a’ cur chraobhan agus ath-nuadhachadh na mòintich.

Tha e air suidheachadh a chruthachadh far a bheil companaidhean mòra agus luchd an ionmhais a’ coimhead air Alba a thaobh cliù nas fheàrr a thoirt dhaibh fhèin le carbon, gan sgeadachadh fhèin ann an cota uaine, mar gum biodh.

Le fìor dhraghan ann mu na tha seo a’ ciallachadh dha margaidh an fhearainn, mhol an coimeisean trì nithean gu sònraichte:

Atharrachadh a thoirt air an taic-airgid airson sgeamaichean na h-àrainneachd ach am bi barrachd dheuchainn phoblach nan cois Dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil deuchainn phoblach ma choinneamh a bhith a’ reic oighreachd mhòr sam bith; agus Siostam nan cìsean atharrachadh ach an toir e buaidh air a’ mhargaidh.

Ann an dòigh, tha e math gun do ghluais ministearan cho luath air an seo, ach a bheil an tuilleadh còmhraidh mu dheidhinn a’ chuspair a dhìth?

Mura h-urrainn dha eòlaichean a chaidh a thaghadh a dh’aona-ghnothach leis an riaghaltas a thighinn an àirde le rudan a ghabhas obrachadh, ciamar fo ghrèin as urrainn dhan duine àbhaisteach agus iomadh duilgheadas agus ceistean duilich ann a bhith a’ dol an sàs ann am margaidh sam bith.

Tha sinn a’ taghadh riaghaltasan, ach chan eil sinn idir a’ sùileachadh gun tig gach nì a chur air adhart tro dheuchainn phoblach. Bu chòir dhaibhsan a tha gar stiùireadh na co-dhùnaidhean a dheànamh agus bheir sinn breithneachadh air a sin.

Chan eil e idir soilleir carson a dh’fheumas an cuspair a tha seo a dhol a-mach gu co-comhairleachadh poblach, nach tig idir an àirde le molaidhean càil nas ciallaiche na tha aca mar-thà. Tha an t-àm ann rudeigin a dheànamh, chan e an tuilleadh cnuasnachaidh gun fheum.

Ann an suidheachadh àbhaisteach, bhiodh tu an dùil gum biodh a leithid Oighreachdan na h-Alba agus buidhnean nan uachdaran a’ rabhadh a' mhargaidh seo fhàgail mar a tha i, ach tha iad sin fiù ‘s ag aithneachadh an trioblaid le tuilleadh ’s a chòrr de thalamh ga chall airson àiteachais. Tha aon figear timcheall air a tha dìreach smaoineachail: tha an talamh as miosa airson obair àiteachais air èirigh 61% ann an luach bho chionn ghoirid.

Leis an uimhir de reic ’s ceannach a’ tachairt air cùlaibh dhorsan, tha e duilich dèanamh a-mach dè dha-rìribh cho bicheanta ‘s a tha e, ach tha mar a tha na prìsean ag èirigh ag innse na sgeòil fhèin.

Feumaidh co-comhairleachadh ruith airson mìosan, agus ‘s dòcha gun iarr buill-pharlamaid an uair sin an tuilleadh fianais mus nochd càil gu h-oifigeil, ‘s an uair sin, feumar ùine fhàgail airson atharrachaidhean. Le sin, chan eil càil a’ dol a thachairt ann an aithghearrachd.

Tha e follaiseach cò na daoine a gheibh buannachd às an dàil a tha seo, agus chan iad na coimhearsnachdan no na daoine a tha air an glasadh a-mach às an t-siostam mar-thà.

English-language version:

Well, that didn’t take long. Just days after proposals emerged seeking to bring greater transparency to Scotland’s inequitable land market, the Scottish Government moved to formal public consultation.

The recommendations by the Scottish Land Commission, specifically tasked by ministers to advise them on opening up public access to land, came on the back of soaring land values, fuelled by subsidies for the likes of tree plantation and peatland restoration.

It has led to a latter day land grab as international companies and their investment arms eye the potential in Scottish estates for carbon off-setting, or as others might term it “green-washing”.

Amid growing concerns over the increase in land being sold off-market to unknown buyers and a subsequent sharp rise in values, the commission came up with a three-pronged approach:

adjusting the environmental grants available so they contain more of a public interest test;

introducing a public interest element before the sale of any large estate;

and adjusting the tax regime to influence the market.

In one sense it’s admirable that ministers acted so swiftly on the recommendations, but is further consultation really necessary?

If specialists hand-picked by government are not able to come up with the necessary practical changes to address the situation, what realistic hope does the great public have, who with the best will in the world cannot possibly hope to understand the complexities involved in market interference?

It is not at all clear why this particular matter should be subject to more consultation that is, in all likelihood, unlikely to result in any practical outcome that trumps what’s already in the public domain. It is time for action, not more procrastination.

Under normal circumstances, where estates are coming under the attention of government and public scrutiny, you would expect the likes of Scottish Land and Estates and the vested land-owning interests to issue a “hands-off” warning.

But these are not normal times and even those organisations can see the damage that’s being caused by so much land disappearing from food production and land rising in price well beyond the means of those who would wish to use it for such purposes. One startling statistic in all of this is that land values for even unproductive agricultural land have risen by 61 per cent.

With so much of it happening off-market and away from the public eye, it’s hard to know just how prevalent it is, but the sharp rise in values tells its own story, the old capitalist truism of supply and demand… and cash in.

Given a public consultation will be required to run for weeks, then possible further evidence-gathering by MSPs, then suggested legislation and time for amendments, the awaited crackdown is not going to happen any time soon.