Reachdas ùr air dì-chroiteadh air taic fhaighinn bho Chomataidh Chùisean Dùthchail

31.05.2013

Tha reachdas a leigeas le croitearan mar shealbhadairean-an-seilbh an cuid fearainn a dhì-chroiteadh air taic fhaighinn bho Chomataidh Chùisean Dùthchail,  Atharrachadh Cliomaid agus Àrainneachd. Tha a’ Chomataidh air dragh a thaobh cho toinnte agus a tha e a thoirt an aire do Riaghaltas na h-Alba, ge-tà, agus air beachd a thoirt cuideachd air na h-ath cheumannan gus lagh na croitearachd a dhèanamh freagarrach air an adhbhar a tha aige. 

Agus e a’ bruidhinn agus a’ Chomataidh air aithisg a thoirt dhan Phàrlamaid air Bile Croitearachd (Ath-leasachadh) (Alba), thuirt Neach-gairm na Comataidh Rob Gibson BPA:

 

“Bu chòir gun cruthaicheadh an reachdas seo cothrom na Fèinne do chroitearan mar shealbhadairean-an-seilbh agus do chroitearan mar luchd-gabhail agus iad a’ feuchainn ris am fearann a dhì-chroiteadh, rud e bha san amharc aig an reachdas a tha ann an-dràsta.”

 

“Tha sinn a’ cur fàilte air cho luath agus a ghabh Riaghaltas na h-Alba gnìomh gus an duilgheadas seo a chur ceart ach, ged a tha sinn den bheachd gun dèan am bile seo fuasgladh air an duilgheadas a tha ann an-dràsta, tha dragh aig feadhainn le luchd-lagha croitearachd mu thoinnteachd a’ bheil seo, agus mu lagh na croitearachd anns an fharsaingeachd.

 

“Mar thoradh air an fhianais a fhuair sinn, tha a’ Chomataidh air iarraidh air Riaghaltas na h-Alba soilleireachd a thoirt air mar a tha san amharc aige aghaidh a chur air càineadh, chan ann a-mhàin ann an dèanamh dreachd a’ bhile, ach air a’ chàineadh chumanta air lagh na croitearachd anns an fharsaingeachd.”

 

Tha an aithisg aig ìre a h-aon air Bile Croitearachd (Ath-leasachadh) (Alba) air na co-dhùnaidhean a leanas a dhèanamh ann an giorrachadh:

 

• Tha aithreachas air a’ Chomataidh gun do dh’adhbharaich buaidh gun rùn aig easbhaidhean, agus/no cion soilleireachaidh ann an reachdas na croitearachd a tha ann an-dràsta gun do chuir Coimisean na Croitearachd co-dhùnaidhean an dara taobh air iarrtasan le croitearan mar shealbhadairean-an-seilbh gus an cuid fearainn gu lèir no gu ìre a dhì-chroiteadh, seach gun robh Coimisean na Croitearachd den bheachd nach robh bunait laghail sam bith ann gus an leithid de cho-dhùnaidhean a ghabhail. Bhathar air an leithid de dh’iarrtasan a dhèanamh, agus co-dhùnadh a ghabhail mun deidhinn, bhon Dàmhair 2011, gus an tàinig an duilgheadas am bàrr am-bliadhna fhèin, agus tha cur-an-taobh a’ bheachdachaidh air na h-iarrtasan sin air stad a chur air cuid de chroitearan mar shealbhadairean-an-seilbh an aon chòraichean fhaighinn ri croitearan mar luchd-gabhail, a bha mar rùn a thaobh poileasaidh ris an reachdas a tha ann an-dràsta.
• Tha a’ Chomataidh ag aontachadh nach fhuilear an reachdas atharrachadh agus tha i a’ cur fàilte uime sin air cho luath agus a thug Riaghaltas na h-Alba an reachdas-atharrachaidh air adhart a bha còir aige chan e a-mhàin a’ cheist seo a leigheas don fheadhainn a nì an leithid de dh’iarrtasan gus dì-chroiteadh a dhèanamh san ùine romhainn ach bualadh gu h-ais-ghabhalach air na h-uile a rinn iarrtasan roimhe air neo aig a bheil iarrtasan nan stad an-dràsta mar a thoradh air a’ cheist a thathar air comharrachadh.  
• Ged a thathar ag aithneachadh gu bheil feum air reachdas-atharrachaidh, ge-tà, agus gum bu chòir don Bhile san dreach anns a bheil e aghaidh a chur air an duilgheadas a chaidh a chomharrachadh, tha a’ Chomataidh mothachail air an ìre nach beag de bheachdan, gu sònraichte bho luchd-lagha, a thuirt gu bheil am Bile san dreach anns a bheil e tuilleadh is toinnte agus, ann an àiteachan, feumach air atharrachadh gus barrachd dhuilgheadasan mu mhìneachadh laghail a sheachnadh anns an ùine air thoiseach.  
• Tha a’ Chomataidh mothachail air an ìre nach beag de cheistean eile gun fhuasgladh ceangailte ri croitearachd air an fheumar Riaghaltas na h-Alba aghaidh a thoirt ann am beachd mòran dhaoine an dèidh dhan Phàrlamaid beachd a ghabhail air a’ Bhile seo.
• Bha a’ Chomataidh air a bualadh leis an fhianais a fhuair i bhon fheadhainn a tha eòlach air an raon seo den lagh, a chuir an cèill milleadh-dùil agus dragh nach bu bheag leis an toinnteachd a’ dol am meud agus na sreathan de lagh na croitearachd. Chaidh “brochan lom” a gabhail air lagh na croitearachd mar a tha e an-dràsta le barrachd is aon neach-freagairt do ghairm na Comataidh airson bheachdan.
• Tha a’ Chomataidh air beachd sònraichte a nochdadh mu na h-ullachaidhean sa Bhile am meadhan na h-aithisg aice gu h-ìseal. Tha a’ Chomataidh a’ cur fàilte, ge-tà, air an rùn a thaobh poileasaidh sa Bhile gun ceartaichear an neo-riaghailteachd a thathar air comharrachadh a chuireas stad an-dràsta air croitearan mar shealbhadairean-an-seilbh air a bhith a’ dèanamh iarrtais gus am fearann gu lèir no gu ìre aca a dhì-chroiteadh. Tha a’ Chomataidh uime sin a’ moladh gun cuir Pàrlamaid na h-Alba a thaic ri prionnsapalan coitcheann a’ Bhile aig Ìre 1, gus am faod am Bile dol air adhart gu Ìre 2.
• Ann a bhith ga dhèanamh, ge-tà, tha i a’ moladh gu làidir gun gabh Riaghaltas na h-Alba beachd gu mionaideach air atharrachaidhean sam bith a dh’fhaodadh a bhith a dhìth air a’ Bhile aig Ìre 2 gus am bi sgrùdadh làn ann (a’ lorg fiosrachaidh, fianaise agus comhairle air ceistean laghail sam bith a rèir mar a tha iomchaidh) gus a dhèanamh cinnteach gum bi am Bile soilleir is comasach agus nach cuir e barrachd toinnteachd ri reachdas a tha toinnte mar-thà, no buaidhean eile gun rùn adhbharachadh.   
• Tha a’ Chomataidh ag iarraidh air Riaghaltas na h-Alba sònrachadh mar a tha san amharc aige aghaidh a thoirt air na ceistean eile ann an lagh na croitearachd a chaidh a thoirt gu aire na Comataidh ri linn an sgrùdaidh aice air a’ Bhile agus innse dhan Chomataidh ciamar a tha e am beachd leantainn air adhart. Tha a’ Chomataidh a’ moladh gun nochd Riaghaltas na h-Alba mar a tha san amharc aige aghaidh a thoirt air a’ chàineadh chumanta a rinneadh, gu sònraichte le luchd-lagha, mu chor lagh na croitearachd anns an fharsaingeachd an-dràsta.

 

Cùl-fhiosrachadh

Chaidh Bile Croitearachd (Ath-leasachadh) (Alba) a thoirt a-steach air 9 Cèitean 2013. The mar amas aig a’ Bhile aghaidh a thoirt air ceistean ann an Achd nan Croitearan (Alba) 1993 ag èirigh à atharrachaidhean air an dèanamh le Achd Ath-leasachadh Croitearachd (Alba) 2010 a dh’fhàg nach d’fhuair luchd-gabhail agus sealbhadairean-an-seilbh an aon làimhseachadh a thaobh a’ chomais aca fearann a dhì-chroiteadh.

 

Speaking as the Committee publishes a report to Parliament on the Crofting (Amendment) Scotland Bill, Convener of the Committee Rob Gibson MSP said:

“This legislation should create a level playing field for owner occupier crofters and tenant crofters in seeking to decroft their land, which is what was intended in the existing legislation.”

“We welcome the speed at which the Scottish Government has acted to correct this problem but, whilst we believe this bill will solve the current problem, some crofting lawyers clearly have concerns about the complexity of the bill, and crofting law in general.

“As a result of the evidence we received, the Committee has asked the Scottish Government to clarify how it intends to address criticisms, not only on the drafting of the bill, but of the wider criticisms of crofting law in general.”

The stage one report on the Crofting Amendment (Scotland) Bill has reached the following conclusions in summary:

• The Committee regrets that an unintended consequence of omissions, and/or a lack of clarity in existing crofting legislation has led to the Crofting Commission suspending decisions on applications by owner-occupier crofters to decroft all or part of their land, as the Crofting Commission considered there was no legal basis on which to make such decisions. Such applications had been made, and decided upon, since October 2011, until the problem came to light earlier this year, and the suspending of consideration of such applications has prevented some owner-occupier crofters enjoying equal rights to tenant crofters, which was the policy intention of the existing legislation.
• The Committee agrees that the legislation needs to be corrected and therefore welcomes the Scottish Government’s swift bringing forward of amending legislation which should not only remedy this issue for those making such applications to decroft in the future, but will also retrospectively apply to all those who previously made applications, or who currently have applications on hold as a result of the issue being identified.
• However, whilst acknowledging that amending legislation is required, and that the Bill as drafted should address the identified problem, the Committee notes the considerable body of opinion, particularly from the legal profession, expressing the view that the Bill as drafted is unnecessarily complex and, in places, requires amendment in order to avoid further difficulties in legal interpretation in the future.
• The Committee notes the significant number of other outstanding issues relating to crofting many believe require to be addressed by the Scottish Government following the conclusion of consideration of this Bill by Parliament.
• The Committee was struck by the evidence it received from those knowledgeable in this area of the law, which demonstrated significant frustration and concern with the increasing complexity and layers of crofting law.  Crofting law as it stands was described as “a mess” by more than one respondent to the Committee’s call for views.
• The Committee makes specific comment on the provisions in the Bill in the main body of this report below. However, the Committee welcomes the policy intention of the Bill to rectify the anomaly which has been identified that currently prevents owner-occupier crofters from applying to decroft all or part of their land. The Committee therefore recommends that the Scottish Parliament support the general principles of the Bill at Stage 1, to allow the Bill to pass to Stage 2.
• However, in doing so, it strongly recommends that the Scottish Government carefully considers any amendments which may be required to the Bill at Stage 2 to allow for full scrutiny (seeking information, evidence and advice on any legal issues as appropriate) to ensure that the Bill is clear and competent and does not add further complexity to an already complex body of legislation, or have the potential to give rise to further unintended consequences.
• The Committee asks the Scottish Government to identify how it intends to address the other issues within crofting law which were brought to the Committee’s attention during its scrutiny of the Bill and to inform the Committee of how it intends to proceed. The Committee recommends that the Scottish Government indicates how it intends to address the wider criticisms that have been made, particularly by the legal profession, of the current state of crofting law as a whole.

Background

The Crofting (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 9 May 2013. The Bill aims to address issues in the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 arising from amendments made by the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 which have left tenant and owner-occupiers not being treated equally in terms of their ability to decroft land.