§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps he is taking to prevent the speculative sale of Scottish land to owners and developers furth of Scotland;
(2) what record is being maintained of private land transactions in Scotland in which ownership of land is transferred furth of Scotland;
(3) what estimate has been made of land in Scotland currently owned by (a) Germans (b) Americans and (c) Belgians; and if he envisages a limit being placed on foreign ownership of Scottish land.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonNo specific record is maintained for the purpose of identifying the nationality of the owners of land in Scotland. General information on land transactions is, however, available from the Registers of Scotland executive agency.
We have no plans to impose restrictions on the market for land. In a free society, sellers must be allowed to dispose of their possessions as they think best.