Wednesday 16 March 2016

LAND REFORM (SCOTLAND) BILL COMMENTS.

A Spokesman for The Scottish Gamekeepers Association, which represents 5300 rural workers, said: "It is disappointing that amendments put forward to safeguard rural workers' jobs as a result of the introduction of sporting rates were not supported. Similarly, the argument that bringing shoots and deer forests ‘into line’ with other rural businesses carries little water when farming, forestry- now worth £1 billion a year- and aquaculture, which is almost entirely Norwegian-owned, remain exempt from business rates.
“In many ways, it seems perverse that, as one of the aims of land reform is to help make remote rural areas work and keep families in them, that those who do so much in terms of community resilience, at present, are likely to lose out.“We will work with Scottish Government in a bid to limit the damage of job losses for our working members but such losses, we fear, are inevitable.”