Land Ownership in the Public Interest

That the Parliament notes with concern what it sees as the damaging effects of the concentration of land ownership in a small number of private hands; acknowledges the Scottish Land Commission’s finding that concentrated ownership can hamper local economic development and harm communities across Scotland; notes the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to increasing diversity of land ownership; understands that there is currently no statutory requirement for the public interest be considered on land sales or transfers in Scotland; notes the continuing acquisition of land by private interests, including the capital investment firm Gresham House, which is now reportedly the second largest landowner in Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to make lotting decisions subject to a public interest test that ensures that land is owned and managed for the benefit of the people of Scotland.