MSP for Angus takes up role which includes scrutinising the Land Reform Act
THE SNP’s Graeme Dey has been unanimously endorsed as the new convener of the Environment, Climate Change, and Land Reform (ECCLR) committee.
The role will play a significant part in ensuring the effective introduction of the 2016 Land Reform Act, which was passed following heated debate on the need to redistribute the ownership of land in Scotland.
Previously the deputy convener in the last parliament, Dey played a key role in pushing for stronger transparency of land ownership when serving on the ECCLR committee’s predecessor – the Rural Affair, Climate Change and Environment committee, which has seen its name altered in this parliament to reflect the higher profile of the land reform issue.
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The first meeting of the committee noted the high level of secondary legislation required to implement the Land Reform Act successfully – which will be one of the earliest challenges for the committee’s work.
Claudia Beamish, Labour spokesperson on land reform, said there would be “much significant secondary legislation” – which includes meeting expectations on land ownership transparency.
The committee’s full membership is composed of: Maurice Golden, Finlay Carson, Alexander Burnett, Mark Ruskell, Graeme Dey, Claudia Beamish, Kate Forbes, Angus MacDonald, David Stewart, Emma Harper, Gail Ross.
There are five SNP members, three Tory, two Labour, and one Green member to reflect the make-up of parliament following the election.
The SNP will require the support of other parties in key committee votes if they wish to achieve support for party proposals.
Land reform campaigner and new MSP Andy Wightman has stated that he wishes to see a new Land Reform Bill introduced later in this parliament.
Conservative Maurice Golden was selected as the committee’s deputy convener.
Picture courtesy of Scottish Parliament TV
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