Committee of Inquiry on Crofting to visit Royal Highland Show
Friday 15 June 2007
The Committee of Inquiry on Crofting is set to continue its tour around Scotland when it visits the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh. The Committee started its tour around crofting communities at the beginning of June so it can hear directly people's views on the future of crofting and crofting communities.
The Committee of Inquiry on Crofting was established by Ministers to consider what further reforms are necessary following the passing of the Crofting Reform Act in January 2007. The Committee will engage with crofting communities to develop a vision for the future of crofting, including its legal, institutional, regulatory and financial basis. This will lead to recommendations to government in the New Year.
The Royal Highland Show is the pinnacle of the Scottish showing year, but its appeal stretches well beyond Scotland's borders to make it one of the UK's premier agricultural shows. 161, 000 people visited the Show in 2006 and organisers expect this year to be even bigger.
Professor Mark Shucksmith, Chair of the Inquiry, said: "We are looking forward to attending the Royal Highland Show as it is such an important date in the agricultural diary. We hope to meet many of the organisations with an interest in crofting at the Show, and to publicise our work. Information packs will be available on various stalls at the Show including those of the Scottish Crofting Foundation, Rural Development Stand and National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS)."
The Committee visited the Western Isles at the beginning of June, hold public four meetings, and received very encouraging feedback from those who had attended the meetings. The programme for the remainder of the public meetings were announced today.
Mark continued: "We are very pleased with the way the public meetings went in the Western Isles. There was a strong turnout at the meetings and those who attended were keen to give us their views and to get involved in discussions about the future. We learned a great deal and heard some useful ideas. I am looking forward to discussing the issues with more people in the meetings we planned."
Further details are available on the Inquiry's website at http://croftinginquiry.org/
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For further information or to arrange an interview with Mark Shucksmith please contact:
Sharon Lyons at Barkers Scotland on 0141 248 5030 or slyons@barkers-scot.com
The Committee of Inquiry on Crofting will be holding public meetings in the following areas:
* Monday 25 June - BROADFORD - 7.15pm, Broadford Hall
* Tuesday 26 June - POOLEWE - 7.15pm, Poolewe Village Hall
* Wednesday 27 June - LAIRG - 7.15pm, Lairg Community Centre
* Wednesday 4 July - GLENUIG - 7.15pm, Glenuig Village Hall
* Thursday 5 July - OBAN - 7.15pm, Corran Halls
* Monday 16 July - INVERNESS - 7.15pm (venue to be confirmed)
* Tuesday 17 July - KIRKWALL - time tbc, Kirkwall Town Hall
* Wednesday 18 July - MID YELL - time tbc, Mid Yell Community Hall
* Thursday 19 July - LERWICK - 7.15pm, Lerwick Museum
* Tuesday 24 July - TIREE - 7.15pm, An Talla
* Wednesday 25 July - PORT ELLEN - 7.15pm, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ile
* Thursday 26 July - BRODICK - 7.15pm, Brodick Community Hall