Green say government's land reform work should be bolder

A review group is examining laws governing land ownership

The Scottish Greens have urged the government to be "bolder" in its work to reform land ownership laws after an academic's criticism of the process.

The government-commissioned Land Reform Review Group is looking at how it could be made easier for communities in rural and urban areas to buy land.

However, former group member Prof James Hunter has raised concerns that the work will not lead to radical reforms.

The government said it was committed to reform.

A spokesman said that since May 2007 it had helped 25 communities to purchase land, and also launched a fund to help other groups to do the same.

Prof Hunter criticised the government in an article in The Herald newspaper on Tuesday.

The historian and land reform campaigner said the government was doing "absolutely nothing legislatively" to change the country's "undemocratic" land ownership system.

The Scottish Greens said they supported Prof Hunter's comments.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said land reform was "a crucial issue which is in danger of disappearing from the government's radar".

In the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant also said the government was not doing enough to improve the rights of tenant farmers.

Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse told MSPs that the review group would make recommendations that would expand land ownership rights for communities across the whole of Scotland.

He said: "The group will recommend how the current right-to-buy legislation can be simplified and amended to make it more accessible."