Wealthy landowners are qualifying for taxpayer-funded hand-outs of £12,000 a week, 200 times more than the £56 young jobless get – according to a new report.
A case study of one 28,000 acre Highland estate on the market for £11.4 million is in a report, which urges MPs to look at measures landed estates adopt to secure lucrative support from the state, while sometimes concealing the estate's actual owners.
The report was requested by Labour MP Ian Davidson, who chairs the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, and who asked four land reform experts to supply the Committee with information to help with its forthcoming enquiry into land ownership in Scotland.
'Towards a Comprehensive Land Reform Agenda for Scotland', is the work of Jim Hunter, an ex-chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and until recently on the Scottish Government's land reform review group; Peter Peacock, a former MSP and Minister; Andy Wightman, a land rights researcher; and Michael Foxley, a former leader of Highland Council.
The report claims that with just 432 owners controlling 50% of all the privately owned land, Scotland has "the most concentrated pattern of land ownership in the developed world".
It points to the £600,000-plus a year in taxpayer-funded subsidies available to the purchaser of the £11.4m Argyll property – the Auch and Invermearan Estate near Bridge of Orchy – which is highlighted in the Knight Frank sales brochure.
The report notes "the ready access estate ownership gives to the public purse" is a key attraction of land ownership to "the rich and super-rich".
It continues: "Perhaps it is perfectly proper that someone who can afford to pay £11.4 million for a Scottish estate should be getting from the taxpayer a weekly payment more than 200 times greater than that made available to a jobless youngster.
Scottish Land & Estates Chairman Luke Borwick said: "Calling for urgent investigation by a Westminster committee on issues already under detailed review in Scotland seems pointless. The vast majority of private landowners in Scotland are doing a first class job day in day out working as part of rural communities – we believe such an investigation is unnecessary and unwarranted."
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