Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP Skye, Lochaber, and Badenoch recently asked in Parliament about the progress being made on the implementation of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. Mr Thompson was pleased to hear that the Crofting Commission is taking steps to create a user-friendly duty report.

Dave commenting on the progress said: “I am pleased the Crofting Commission is setting out to understand the issues that local crofters have raised about the Crofting Reform Act.

“Crofting communities are an essential element of Scottish culture, and the integrity within these communities is vitally important.

A number of concerns have been raised by crofters over a part of the Act requiring grazing clerks and grazing committees to submit detailed reports on their fellow crofters, many arguing that this essentially amounts to spying on their neighbours.

In response to these concerns Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, told Mr Thompson they would be a feature at the crofting assessor’s conference in Inverness on 21 and 22 November.

Adding to this, Dave said:

“Reporting on the use of crofting lands is not an unreasonable requirement, but it should not create a culture of mistrust within local communities.

“I believe that the Crofting Commission will work to ensure that the integrity that already exists in these communities is not lost, and I hope the commission and crofters will work together to find a suitable compromise.

Note:

The full transcript of Dave’s question can be found here.