HL Deb 11 February 1997 vol 578 cc121-2
Lord Strathclyde

My Lords, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Transfer of Crofting Estates (Scotland) Bill, has consented to place her prerogatives and interests, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.

Read a third time; an amendment (privilege) made.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Lindsay)

My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.

The Bill offers an important opportunity to the tenants of the Secretary of State's crofting estates to take on ownership of the estates and to enjoy the benefits and responsibilities which ownership will give them. I am grateful for the positive and constructive approach which noble Lords have taken in considering the proposals that we put before the House.

I am especially grateful to those Members of your Lordships' House who joined the Select Committee that took evidence both on Skye and in Inverness. Their contribution was significant. Specifically, I should like to thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Jauncey of Tullichettle, for his expert chairmanship of that Select Committee, and other Members, such as the noble Lady, Lady Saltoun, the noble Lord, Lord Sewel, the noble Earl, Lord Mar and Kellie, and the noble Viscount, Lord Thurso. I look forward to seeing the first proposals for crofting trusts emerge in the near future.

Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(The Earl of Lindsay.)

Lord Mackie of Benshie

My Lords, I too welcome the Bill. Happily, I have had to do little work on it because it has all been done by my noble friends Lord Mar and Kellie and Lord Thurso. I wish the Bill well. It is a very complex Bill and a great deal of work will have to be undertaken before viable and good crofting estates pass into the hands of workable bodies which can promote their well-being and expand the interests of the area. As I have said, I wish the Bill well, but it will be a long time before all the estates that are now in the Government's hands are in the hands of such bodies.

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy

My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Mackie, has spoken, I should like to thank in the first place the noble Earl, Lord Lindsay, for his customary help and courtesy and for his work in helping us with the Bill. We are accustomed to such help and courtesy from him, but that does not mean that he should never receive a word of thanks.

I should also like to put on record my gratitude to the crofters of the Annishadder and Borve estates and of the other estates on Skye which we visited, who gave their time so generously to help us. We learned a great deal from our visits to them and we were all very grateful for their help.

On Question, Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.