3 Conclusion
53. Land reform is an intensely political area of
public policy which has previously been neglected for too long.
By removing land-based barriers to the sustainable development
of communities, particularly in rural areas, land reform can have
a profound social impact. Any land reform programme should also
ensure that effective land use and management are encouraged.
We are pleased that the Scottish Government is taking forward
work on land reform in line with the findings of our interim report.
The Scottish Government's consultation on the Future of Land
Reform in Scotland paper closed on 12 February 2015. We await
with interest the results of the consultation and, in the longer
term, the impact of land reform.
54. Concentrated land ownership has a negative impact
on attempts to create a more socially just Scotland. Accordingly,
the long term impact of the Scottish's Government's reforms and
the new Common Agricultural Payments scheme, along with the effects
of Community Land Fund on land ownership and management should
be a matter of great importance to the next Scottish Affairs Committee.
|
