Land Reform Act order brings Commission into being

The Scottish Land Commission will be set up from 1 November 2016 and fully operational from 1 April 2017, a ministerial order has confirmed.

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, has made a commencement order under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act that will also see the newly established Tenant Farming Commissioner take up their role from next 1 April.

The Commission will have a broad remit to review the impact and effectiveness of laws and policies relating to land in Scotland and recommend changes, in line with its own strategic plan and the land rights and responsibilities statement to be published by ministers. It has to provide the resources needed both by its own commissioners and the Tenant Farming Commissioner, whose main role is to prepare and promote codes of practice in relation to agricultural holdings, and inquire into alleged breaches.

Also coming into force from 1 November 2016 is the duty on ministers under s 44 of the Act to issue guidance about engaging communities in decisions relating to land which may affect them.

The commencement order is SSI 2016/250.