An Update From Holyrood
‘Unprecedented’ is an overused adjective in political commentary for events that are interesting but have probably played out before. But as the Scottish Parliament enters its final week before dissolving for the elections in May it is worth reflecting on the sheer volume of legislation that MSPs have been expected to deal with in the final moments of this parliament. From a rural perspective, recent weeks have been particularly busy, with bills on the natural environment, crofting, visitor levy, building safety levy, community wealth building and ecocide all debated and voted on in the last month alone. This, in the memory of most MSPs I have spoken to about the pre-election period, is genuinely unprecedented.
As ever though, legislation is an opportunity to influence. And with regards to all the bills that have been mentioned, SLE’s impact has been keenly felt. As the Building Safety Levy Bill crossed the line this week, our work with the Minister for Public Finance alongside Committee members Craig Hoy MSP and Liz Smith MSP ensured that rural developments of 29 or less homes will not have to pay the levy, whilst further provisions around conversions mean that bringing disused buildings back into the housing stock will also be exempt. On the Visitor Levy, our argument that a flat fee would be more appropriate than a percentage rate has been accepted, and a final vote on that took place on Thursday to give local authorities the choice. The Ecocide Bill has been kicked into the long grass, whilst the Crofting Bill, concluding next week, has seen some key changes accepted to ensure landowners can have their voice heard in future decisions on the topic.
A satisfying end to the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament will come in the form of its final debate next Wednesday. Highlands & Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston will hold a Members Business Debate on the Sustainability of Remote, Rural and Island Communities to round off proceedings, championing an issue close to all of us at SLE. As ever, we look forward to contributing to the debate through a briefing to MSPs setting out our support for the motion and what MSPs can do to support our rural communities.
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