HC Deb 29 January 1969 vol 776 cc330-1W
54. Mr. Malcolm MacMillan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give an undertaking that he will not seek to impose general compulsion upon tenant crofters, who wish to remain statutorily protected tenants, to have their tenancies coverted to owner-occupation;

(2) if he will give details of the representations he has received concerning steps to be taken for the compulsory conversion of farming tenancies to owner-occupation, subject to further statutory restrictions upon the owner-occupiers regarding change of land use or disposal by sale or otherwise of any part of their land; and what action he is taking.

Mr. Buchan

I assume my hon. Friend has in mind the recommendations made to my right hon. Friend recently by the Crofters Commission about the future of crofting tenure and I would refer him to the Written Answer given on 24th January to my hon. Friend the Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan). I do not propose to anticipate the conclusions which will be drawn from the consultations and studies which my right hon. Friend is setting in hand. These will take account of the few representations on the Commission's recommendations which have been received so far.—[Vol. 776, c. 196.]