Crown Estate interim body establishment consultation: responses summary report

1. Introduction

1.1. The Scotland Act 2016 includes provisions for the transfer of management and revenues of The Crown Estate assets in Scotland. Section 36 of the Act provides for the transfer of specific functions, and the associated rights and liabilities, to the Scottish Ministers or a person nominated by them, on a transfer date. It is only then that the Scottish Parliament has legislative competence for the management of, and revenue from, the Crown Estate in Scotland.

1.2. The Scotland Act 2016 also makes provision for an Order in Council to be made, making arrangements for the management of the transfer of Crown Estate assets, including establishing the interim body, commencing from the point of transfer of the existing Scottish functions.

1.3. The Scottish Government undertook an online consultation on the principles for the interim management arrangements, and proposals to establish a new interim body 'Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management)' to manage Crown Estate assets in Scotland using the Order in Council powers. The consultation invited views on those principles and proposals between 30 June and the extended closing date of 29 August 2016.

1.4. The legal framework for the interim body is constrained by the requirements of the Crown Estate 1961 Act. There will be public consultation on options for the long-term framework, in due course, ahead of primary legislation.