Image source, bbc

Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, external convener Gillian Martin says the Crown Estate , externalshould largely exist for the public good.

Ms Martin says the Scottish Land Commission report is significant and important.

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Liam McArthur says it is source of pride to him that the Lib Dems put land reform at the forefront of its priorities when in coalition government at Holyrood.

Mr McArthur cites the Spice-spotlight blog: 'Scale and concentration of land ownership – the elephant in the room?'', external.

The Tories have been dragged screaming and kicking to this point and will continue the land reform journey in the same way, argues Mr McArthur.

The Lib Dem MSP calls for clarity over ownership as it is fundamental to accountability.

He concludes his contribution by praising the Scottish Land Fund., external

Scotland are down 3 goals.

"It's footballing Brexit"

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• Was formally established and started its work in April this year
• It is based in Inverness
• The commission has five land commissioners, a tenant farming commissioner and support staff
• It was set up as part of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 to review law and policy and make recommendations to the Scottish government

Image source, bbc

Back in 2017 we reported that a study into who owns Scotland's land and the impact that has on the people who live there was to be carried out by the Scottish Land Commission (SLC).

It has been estimated that fewer than 500 people own half of all privately-owned land in Scotland.

That is one of the highest concentrations of land ownership in Europe.

Read more here.

Putting a limit on the amount of land in Scotland that one person can own was suggested by former Scottish Labour minister Peter Peacock last year.

Mr Peacock has put forward the idea in a discussion paper, one of a number commissioned by the Scottish Land Commission on land reform.

In Land: For the many, not the few?, he argues that half of all privately-owned land is held by fewer than 500 people.

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He said huge estates created local land monopolies.

Scottish Land and Estates, an organisation representing the interests of landowners, said a "meaningful debate" should be held about land use, rather than ownership.

It added that the land commission's research also came only two years after the Land Reform Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament, and "which was the conclusion to a long debate".

Read more here.

Andy Wightman says the landowning system in Scotland is entrenched, and has been skewed by landowners in parliament over many generations.

The Green MSP asks how do we redistribute power in the case of land.

He'd like to replace the term 'Community Ownership' with 'Common Ownership', saying it's more inclusive.

The Conservatives and landed classes are giving us a "masterclass in distraction" on the issue, he claims.

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Labour MSP Claudia Beamish calls for land reform to end the "inequitable and unjust land ownership pattern Scotland still has".

Ms Beamish also supports increased community ownership of land.

"She argues every acre of land that has come into community ownership is a welcome acre.

"Can it be socially just that so few own so much land?"

Only the privileged few can participate in land ownership she argues.

Ms Beamish says land justice is part of delivering social justice and pledges to support the Scottish government motion today.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

High transaction fees should not be criticised, the Tory MSP adds. Why should rural buyers be any different to urban purchasers?

Responding to items in the Scottish Land Commission report, Sir Edward says sales fall through in all areas for various reasons, and why should the countryside be any different.

The landowning MSP then asks why landowners should be held responsible for all the costs of sales.

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It has been claimed that 432 private land owners - 0.008% of the Scottish population - owned 50% of the private land in rural Scotland in 2012.

A Land Reform Review Group, external set up by the Scottish government said of that statistic: "As a measure of inequality in a modern democracy, this is exceptional and is in need of explanation."

The Land Reform Act, external measures include:

• creating a register of people in charge of land
• provisions to force land sales if owners block economic development
• setting up a Land Commission
• plans to improve the systems of right to roam and common good land