Appointments of the Chair and Commissioners of the Scottish Land Commission

Mairi Gougeon S6M-11733 That the Parliament notes the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee's 21st Report, 2023 (Session 6), Report on appointments to the Scottish Land Commission (SP Paper 499); welcomes the Committee’s recommendation that the Parliament approves the appointment of Professor Michael Russell, Professor Deborah Roberts and Craig Mackenzie as Land Commissioners to the Scottish Land Commission; further welcomes the Committee’s endorsement of the selection of Professor Michael Russell as Chair of the Commission, and approves the appointments as required by section 10 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016. Douglas Lumsden S6M-11733.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-11733 in the name of Mairi Gougeon (Appointments of the Chair and Commissioners of the Scottish Land Commission), leave out from "recommendation" to end and insert "unanimous recommendation that the Parliament approves the appointment of Professor Deborah Roberts and Craig Mackenzie as Land Commissioners to the Scottish Land Commission; recognises the widespread concerns expressed regarding the recommended appointment of Michael Russell; highlights that Michael Russell’s appointment was not approved unanimously by the Committee because it had not had the opportunity to take evidence from him regarding any potential conflicts of interest that would arise from him having recently been an MSP, president of the Scottish National Party, interim chief executive of the Scottish National Party, and a Scottish Minister; understands that Michael Russell has made a number of inflammatory comments in the past about opposition politicians and parties, as well as about land reform, and therefore questions his ability to be impartial, and approves the appointments of Professor Deborah Roberts and Craig Mackenzie as required by section 10 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, but, in the interests of protecting the reputation of the Scottish Land Commission, does not approve the appointment of Michael Russell until such time as the Committee has undertaken further scrutiny."