Remit
Agricultural tenancy
The Scottish Government is currently reviewing agricultural holdings regulation, and an interim report (Review of Agricultural Holdings Legislation Interim Report) was published on 20 June 2014. The Committee agreed to scrutinise the interim report and took evidence from stakeholders on 13 August 2014 and from the Cabinet Secretary on 20 August 2014.
In January 2015, the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group's final report (Review of Agricultural Holdings Legilsation Final Report) was published and the Committee took evidence from stakeholders, the Review Group and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment in March/April 2015. You can find transcripts of these meetings on the Meeting Papers & Official Reports page.
Evidence
The Committee received written evidence prior to its meetings with stakeholders on 13 August 2014 and from the Cabinet Secretary on 20 August 2014. Read the evidence here:
Written evidence
The Committee received further written evidence ahead of its meetings on the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group's final report on 25 March 2015 and 1 April 2015.
Correspondence
The Committee received the following correspondence from the Cabinet Sectretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment on 27 February 2014.
The Committee received the following correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment ahead of his appearance at the Committee on 1 April 2015.
The Committee wrote to the Scottish Government following its consideration of the final report of the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment responded to the Committee's letter on the 6th June 2015.
Additional Information
Previous agricultural tenancy work
Following its work on the Agricultural Holdings (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, the Committee monitored the work of the Scottish Government and the Tenant Farming Forum (TFF) on this issue. Following the publication of the first report to come out of the TFF review, which was on rent reviews (published 28 November 2012), the Committee took evidence from the Rent Review Working Group (RRWG) (6 March 2013) and then from TFF stakeholder organisations: Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA), Scottish Land and Estates (SLaE), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) (20 March 2013).
A copy of the RRWG's report can be found at the following link
In advance of the session on 20 March, the following evidence was submitted:
Members also previously agreed to write to the Scottish Government to ask for an update on the development of a code of conduct for land agents. The Scottish Government has informed the Committee that this issue was touched upon in the RRWG Report, and will continue to be considered as part of the wider on-going agricultural tenancy review. The Clerks will maintain a watching brief on this issue and advise the Committee of progress as appropriate.