Land reform bill report is a flashing red light to Ministers

Press Release

A new parliamentary report criticising the land reform bill underlines the need for fundamental changes to the draft legislation, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) said today.

The rural business organisation commented after the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport (NZET) Committee said that Part 1 of the Bill in particular “risks not delivering, with its approach seen as potentially burdensome and bureaucratic.”

SLE said that it was now time for the Scottish Government to accept that meaningful changes are required to the Bill - or Ministers would be jeopardising rural businesses, communities and work that needs to be done to tackle climate and nature emergencies. 

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, said:

“The report endorses our view that this Bill in its current form is flawed and won’t deliver benefits for rural Scotland. Time and again we see the only answer to land reform from government is to throw more legislation at it - and the result we get is unworkable.

“The committee has rightly highlighted that witnesses from all perspectives—including supporters, critics, and independent experts—agree that the Bill requires significant revisions. As it stands, it threatens to burden rural businesses with excessive red tape and add significant costs to the public purse while failing to deliver real benefits for communities. This report is a flashing red light to Ministers.”

SLE highlighted provisions in the Bill to give Ministers the power to intervene and force landholdings to be sold off in lots as a key area which needs to be addressed.

Mrs Laing said: “The proposed lotting provisions pose a serious threat to investment in Scotland’s rural land and are fraught with legal difficulty and unnecessary costs for businesses and taxpayers. 

“The committee also raises valid concerns about the absence of a clear timeframe for the lotting process, which would leave sellers and other interested parties in limbo. Without major revisions, this aspect of the Bill lacks credibility as a legislative measure.

“There are already numerous avenues for communities to purchase land, and we continue to see many successful voluntary transactions between willing sellers and buyers. The government must focus on practical solutions that support rural development rather than introducing unnecessary barriers that will stifle investment and growth.”

SLE also voiced concerns over the Bill’s potential impact on agricultural tenancies, warning that it will jeopardise further land being available to let in a market which is already stagnant at best.

Mrs Laing added: “We share the Committee’s serious concerns that while the Bill aims to strengthen the position of the existing group of secure tenants, it does little to reverse the long-term decline in agricultural tenancies or create opportunities for future generations. In fact, in its current form, it risks further discouraging landowners from letting land. Decades of excessive legislation have created this challenge, and simply adding to the imbalance in regulation will not solve it.

“A strong and sustainable tenanted sector is essential for the future of Scottish agriculture. Policy must focus on encouraging—rather than deterring—landowners from making land available. We urge the government to carefully consider the unintended consequences of this Bill and ensure that any reforms promote a fair, sustainable, and collaborative approach to land tenure.”