SCOTTISH FARMERS UNION SUBMITS COMMENTS ON LAND REFORM BILL

Call for agricultural holdings elements to be acknowledged
Following extensive consultation with its members – including a series of country-wide meetings – NFU Scotland has submitted its views on the Scottish Government’s draft Land Reform Bill.
Recognising that land reform is a highly emotive subject, the Union has reiterated its view that land management and agricultural production rather than land ownership should be central to the bill.
It also calls on the bill to be renamed to reflect the importance that elements related to agricultural tenancies will have. Following the report published by the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group earlier this year, the Union had felt that agricultural holdings legislation merited standalone treatment. Instead, provisions relating to agricultural holdings are to be an important element of the new bill. The Union would support the bill being renamed the ‘Land Reform and Agricultural Holdings’ Bill to acknowledge this.
NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: “Given that land reform is likely to be an ongoing process, it is vital at this early stage in the debate that the emphasis is firmly focussed on how land is utilised, rather than who holds ownership.
“Good and prudent land managers – whether they own or rent their land – must be supported by the provisions that emerge in this bill. That means an understanding of the practicalities and implications for land management and farming must be at the forefront of policy discussions and decisions.
“Farming will always be the primary land use on the bulk of Scotland’s land and our food and drinks industry is a growing employer across Scotland. Land reform should be complementary to the Scottish Government’s existing objective of growing our reputation as a land of food and drink.
“Agricultural holdings will now form a key part of this bill and it is important that the huge volume of work and effort already put in to creating a more vibrant, tenanted land sector are reflected in the actual title of the legislation.
“While a huge range of issues, many of which were included in the recommendations of the AHLRG, are now up for debate it was clear from our meetings round the country as well as internal discussions that we need a fresh look at ‘waygo’ – the compensation a tenant receives at the end of their tenancy for any improvements made to the farm.
“Current arrangements around agreeing waygo can, in some cases, be a disincentive to existing tenants retiring and making way for the next generation.
“As a solution, NFUS believes a ‘double notice’ provision be part of the Bill. That would allow a tenant to serve notice of intention to quit the holding and instigate the formulation of a waygo offer by the landlord. If agreement on waygo is reached, a second notice would be issued helping the existing tenant move on and, ideally, a new entrant take their place.”