MAKING SURE people know who owns land in Scotland is a key issue of a land reform consultation launched this week by the Scottish Government.

MAKING SURE people know who owns land in Scotland is a key issue of a land reform consultation launched this week by the Scottish Government.

According to ScotGov, some of the ways in which land is currently held can make it difficult to trace and contact landowners, obscuring who actually has control over the land ?? and making it very difficult for those seeking to engage with land owners, including local communities.

This latest consultation ?? ??The Future of Land Reform in Scotland??, which went live on www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current yesterday ?? proposes to remedy this by barring companies, trusts and partnerships based outwith the EU from owning Scottish land.

ScotGov stressed that this restriction would not affect individuals, from anywhere in the world, who want to buy land in Scotland, but would make it easier to contact them or hold them to account if necessary.

The consultation will also look at ways of modernising how ??Common Good ??should be managed, used and transferred. There are many different types of assets, such as a local park, a building like a local town hall, or even a piece of art or a small financial fund, that could be regarded as part of that ??Common Good??. It is important that these assets are managed appropriately, especially where they have historical, social, cultural or environmental importance to the local community.

Newly-appointed Environment and Land Reform Minister Aileen McLeod said: ??The Scottish Government??s vision is for a strong relationship between the people of Scotland and the land of Scotland, where ownership and use of the land delivers greater public benefits through a democratically accountable and transparent system of land rights that promotes fairness and social justice, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity.

??I am keen to see a fairer and more equitable distribution of land in Scotland where communities and individuals can own and use land to realise their potential. Scotland??s land must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few,?? said Ms McLeod.

??At present, information on who owns land is held by many different bodies including, Registers of Scotland, SEPA, and local authorities, as well as the Scottish Government. This consultation will look at finding ways to bring this information together, which will not only inform debate and public decision making but also help private decision making and drive opportunity.

??This consultation is part of a public debate about land and the public interest, and how land in Scotland works for the people of Scotland. This is not simply for those with strong existing interests in land, but a process in which I hope everyone will engage,?? she said.

Last week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that ScotGov aimed to treble the Scottish Land Fund, from £3 million this year to £10 million in 2016, with much of that cash raised by removing tax breaks for sporting estates.

For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday??s issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk