Advisor role crucial to Agricultural Holdings Bill

NFU Scotland has welcomed the appointment of Andrew Thin as Scotland’s new independent advisor on tenant farming, viewing his role as central to the success of new legislation on agricultural holdings.

Mr Thin, who addressed NFU Scotland’s ACouncil meeting in Perth last November, was a member of the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group (AHLRG), which brought forward recommendation for reform of Scotland’s tenanted sector in January this year.

In making the appointment, the Scottish Government has stated that the role of independent advisor on tenant farming is a short-term one and has been created until legislation can be brought forward to establish a Tenant Farming Commissioner with statutory powers – one of the main recommendations of the AHLRG report.

Welcoming the appointment, NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said:
“The success of Scottish agriculture is dependent on having a vibrant tenanted sector.  If we are to move this debate forward, we need agricultural holdings legislation that is fit for purpose.  

“Andrew Thin’s recent experience as a member of AHLRG makes him the ideal candidate to carry on a constructive dialogue with all the key stakeholders.  It is important that valuable momentum and consensus built up in the recent debate is retained and we look forward to working with him again.

“His role as independent advisor will be central to the success of any new legislation that comes forward in the months ahead.  

“We want Andrew to be proactive with the ability to intervene in disputes if required - roles that we would also want the position of Tenant Farming Commissioner to have when it is created.  

“We also believe that Andrew, in his role as independent advisor, and the future Tenant Farming Commissioner should be politically independent and have a clear mandate to do what is in the best interest of the tenanted sector.”

Notes to Editors

• Andrew Thin lives on the Black Isle and is currently the Chairman of Scottish Canals, a public corporation. He is also a Non-Executive Director within the Scottish Government.  Andrew has an Honours degree in Agricultural Science and a Masters degree in Business Administration. He first became involved in the public sector when he went to work for the Highlands and Islands Development Board in 1989. Andrew has since been Chief Executive of Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, a Crofting Commissioner, Convener of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, and Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage. He has also held a wide variety of board level and consultancy positions in the private sector, including in estate and farm management, tourism and the service sector. In his spare time he enjoys hillwalking, cycling and managing a very small smallholding.
• The Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review’s final recommendations were published in January 2015: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Agricultural-Holdings-Legislation-Review-1527.aspx

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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006