…the blog and website of Andy Wightman
Sunlight or shadows – will the Government’s new public register of land ownership be effective in improving transparency? by Megan MacInnes, Land Adviser with Global Witness Yesterday the Scottish Government announced that their solution to the problem of not knowing who is
Continue readingTransparency in the Land Reform Bill: the only effective solution is disclosing the human being, the ‘beneficial owner’, behind companies owning land by Megan MacInnes, Land Advisor with Global Witness The Scottish Government has responded to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and
Continue readingThe Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee (RACCE) of the Scottish Parliament published its Stage One Report on the general principles of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on 4th December. The plenary Stage One debate will take place in the
Continue readingThe Scottish Tenant Farmers Association issued the following media release today. WITHOUT ACTION, FARM EVICTIONS WILL BECOME SCOTLAND’S SHAME The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association has welcomed the focus given to land and tenancy reform at last week’s SNP conference and
Continue readingOn Thursday evening last week, Channel 4 news broadcast the above 11 minute film on land reform in Scotland. It’s worth a watch. It highlights, among other things, how grassroots members of the SNP are campaigning for a more vigorous
Continue readingImage: Land Reform Minister, Aileen McLeod at launch of Land Reform Bill with Carluke Development Trust. Photo by Scottish Government. UPDATE 13 August 2015 My Written Evidence to the Rural Affairs Committee The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was published by
Continue readingThere is a lot of complete nonsense being spun in the media today about the alleged refusal of Scotland to contribute to the financial support of the Royal family. Front page splashes on the Times and the Telegraph has
Continue readingThe provisions in the Scotland Bill for the devolution of the management of the Crown Estate in Scotland are complex and unclear (see previous blog for background). Last week, the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee (RACCE)
Continue readingIntroduction One of the Smith Commission agreements was that responsibility for the management and revenues of the Crown Estate in Scotland should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. (1) This Agreement reflected the widespread consensus in Scotland that the management
Continue readingImage: Aileen McLeod MSP speaking at conference on Scottish Land and Estates. This month, the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod MSP gave two significant speeches. The first was on 19th May to the Annual Meeting
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