Chamber and committees

Thank you—I appreciate that. Would anything else make late registrations easier? I appreciate that some communities do not want to register until they see land changing hands. Could something be done that would simplify that process and make it easier?

Could I ask one final question, convener?

You both spoke about whether buyers would take on land management plans. We also talked about community purchases, which must have sustainable development at their core. Do you believe that private buyers are being held to different rules and regulations? Would their having to sign up to sustainable development and a land management plan before they purchased land make things more equal, or would that be too unwieldy?

Well, they are being held to a certain standard, in that they have to show that their development is sustainable and in the public interest. Should private landowners be held to such standards to the same degree, and would doing so level the playing field between community and private buyers?

Thank you.

That evidence was really interesting. Both of you spoke about a compulsory sale or compulsory purchase test. Would that help to deal with some of your concerns about late registration and the community right to buy?

Have you spoken to the Scottish Crofting Federation about that, as well? It will impact more of its members than NFUS members.

Those maths do not really work for a small farm that has lost 5 to 10 per cent of its income because of this system. Having a slightly higher level of payment for the rest of the calves does not make up for that. I am not asking for every circumstance in which the force majeure process might apply; I am asking how the process is triggered. How can a farmer who is faced with a situation that will be devastating to their business go to the Government and say, “I need you to look at this”?

I have concerns about that, because it tends to work against small herds, especially those on poorer land. Grass-fed animals are a better carbon sink, so this one-size-fits-all policy will create more carbon emissions in some areas, as well as welfare issues for cattle that are not ready to breed. Farmers might be forced to have them breed, because they would otherwise lose out on the money. Has the minister given any thought to derogations for small herds and herds on more difficult land, so that practices that are much more nature-friendly are not be shut out of the scheme, which would be an unintended consequence that nobody would want?

I will push you further on that point, because it is a really important consideration for me in deciding whether to support the instrument. How can someone raise concerns? I am not asking you to go into every possible circumstance in which there could be a derogation, but this issue could be the difference in relation to whether a herd can continue. How can someone trigger the process to get the Government to look again at the matter, and how quickly can that happen? For example, if, this year, we end up with a number of small farms that cannot meet the requirement, how can someone get the Government to look at that and get the derogation in place? Those small farms do not have the ability to wait it out.