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2 May 2012

(S4O-00941) Agricultural Rent Reviews

Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab): 3. To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take as a result of the Court of Session judgment on the Moonzie Farm rent review case in relation to section 13 rent reviews to ensure that the views of tenant farmers and tenants are taken into consideration. (S4O-00941)

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson): My colleague, the cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead, has already given an undertaking to stakeholders that he will look at the issues raised by the Moonzie case and, if necessary, tackle any problems by introducing further legislation.

The Tenant Farming Forum has been asked to assist in reviewing the position. It is scheduled to meet at the end of May to finalise the remit and membership of the rent review expert working group. Among other things, the panel of experts will look at the statutory formula for rent reviews and consider whether any changes are necessary.

Claudia Beamish: I thank the minister for his clarification on that matter from the perspective of the Scottish Executive and the cabinet secretary.

The minister may be aware that The Scottish Farmer recently stated that

“tenants are now citing the whole protracted Moonzie guddle as proof positive that the current rent review system is ‘patently not fit for the 21st century’.”

I ask for further reassurance that the minister and the cabinet secretary will consider the issue so that there can be clarity for tenants and landlords in what has been an extremely protracted and expensive case.

Stewart Stevenson: The member makes some perfectly reasonable points. There is a substantial divergence of opinion among the stakeholders involved in the issue about how we should take it forward, which is why we are setting up an expert group to discuss it. We will have that established before the end of this month—unless some hiccup occurs, which I do not anticipate.

The issue is complex—the Moonzie case illustrates that if it illustrates anything. We are motivated to give greater certainty and ensure that tenants have a fair rent.

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