Crofting review complete at Govt request

The Crofting Commission hasconfirmed that it has received the governance review, undertaken at the request of the Scottish Government, of the commission.

The findings of the review are being carefully considered, as Bill Barron, chief executive of the Crofting Commission, explains: “A number of important points have been made in the governance review and we are committed to ensuring robust processes are in place to achieve a high standard of governance within the organisation.  I will be putting in place a full action plan to ensure these points are addressed, as requested by the Rural Economy Secretary.

“We have already made some of the improvements recommended in the review and we are developing a comprehensive induction programme for the new Board of Commissioners following the elections in March 2017.

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“Continuous improvement within the commission, and building on the recommendations from the review, will help us to create a focussed and effective organisation working to secure the future of crofting.”

The review comes after a turbulent year for the commission, in which a hat-trick of grazings committees were sacked with bitter rows engulfing the crofting communities of Upper Coll, Mangersta and Bohuntin in Lochaber.

Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan welcomed the publication of a review of the governance arrangements within the Crofting Commission.

The report identified a number of failings, and Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing MSP, has asked the Crofting Commission to take urgent action to improve performance in crucial areas.

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Alasdair Allan commented: “The report which has been published is a welcome step forward after what has been a far from easy time for the Crofting Commission.

“I hope that this is now an opportunity to help move the commission forward and allow it to concentrate on promoting the interests of crofting for the future.”