The land of Scotland and the common good: report

Part Nine Way Forward

Introduction

1 There are two Sections in this final Part of the Report. Section 33 comments on the Group's findings and Section 34 is a summary list of the Group's Recommendations.

2 The Review Group was given a very wide remit to examine the role of Scotland's system of land ownership in the relationship between the people of Scotland and the land of Scotland, and to identify land reform measures that would contribute to three overall strategic objectives ( Annex 1). This has involved identifying and exploring a wide range of topics. The Group considers this broad approach important because the system that a country has in place for the ownership and management of its land is, as the Group's remit states, "fundamental to the well-being, economic success, environmental sustainability and social justice of the country".

3 Scotland's system for the ownership and management of its land can be seen as having three main components. The first is Scotland's system of property laws governing how the land is owned. The second is the system of regulatory laws governing how land can be used. The third is the system of fiscal and other non-statutory measures to influence how land is owned and used. It is important that these three elements work to best effect in the public interest.

4 Any system of land ownership needs to be updated and refined on an ongoing basis in response to changing circumstances. The Review Group considers that the purpose of such change should be to promote the common good of the people of Scotland. The Group therefore defines land reform as measures that modify or change the arrangements governing the possession and use of land in Scotland in the public interest, in order to promote the common good of the people of Scotland.