MSPs raise concerns over leadership and governance at Crofting Commission

Concerns have been raised at Holyrood over the leadership and governance at the Crofting Commission, which regulates crofting in Scotland.

It follows an audit of the organisation in October 2021 when the leadership was criticised for blurring the roles of chief executive, convener and board, leading to a breakdown of trust.

The Scottish parliament’s Public Audit Committee says it is extremely concerned by "significant and persistent weaknesses in leadership and governance arrangements" which saw the commission fall below the standards expected of a public body.

In a report published on Monday, the committee raises concerns that these failures of leadership and governance, identified in the Audit Scotland report, have resulted in a breakdown of trust at the organisation.

But the Crofting Commission this week said it has already moved to address many of the findings of the audit, with increased staffing levels and a new framework put in place.

The report from MSPs claims that neither the Scottish Government nor the Crofting Commission acted to address serious concerns first raised in an independent external governance review requested by the Scottish Government in 2016.

The review highlighted concerns which the Auditor General for Scotland included in its report last year, including differences of opinion and a lack of shared objectives amongst commissioners.

The committee is very concerned these issues will reoccur and is seeking reassurance from both organisations that lessons will be learned to prevent this from happening in the future.

The report states: "We are clear that effective leadership is critical to the delivery of high-quality public services which meet the needs of users of such services and also provide good value for money.

"We find the weaknesses in leadership and governance identified by the Auditor General for Scotland at the Crofting Commission to be unacceptable."

Also highlighted in the report is a lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities which led to a breakdown of trust in the last year between the chief executive and the board. The committee is seeking clarity from the Scottish Government on its plans to support rebuilding those relationships.

The committee added that it is dismayed that performance issues concerning the former convener of the commission, identified by the Auditor, had not been detected and acted upon at the time by the Scottish Government.

Speaking as the report was published, committee convener Richard Leonard, a Labour MSP, said: “It is incredibly disappointing that neither the Scottish Government nor the Crofting Commission took sufficient action to avoid the recurrence of serious concerns first highlighted as far back as 2016.

“The committee remains gravely concerned that these issues will continue to recur unless, this time, lessons are learned and learned fast.

“We welcome the fact that there is now an action plan in place to turn things around but what we are also demanding is a culture change.

“When the new board is elected next month, it must forge strong relationships with the Scottish Government and steer clear of the day-to-day running of the commission – instead focusing on being transparent, open and accountable to the crofting communities they serve.”

The Crofting Commission this week said it "immediately acknowledged" the issues raised by the audit in October and that its board and staff have come together to address the deficiencies highlighted.

Malcolm Mathieson, convener of the Crofting Commission, said: “The issues that have been highlighted in this report, and the opinions and concerns expressed by MSPs, are a reminder that the organisation was not operating as it should.

"Whilst it is disappointing that the committee have chosen to link this to concerns that were raised in 2016, we have moved on and improved significantly and I hope that is apparent to all concerned.

“As an indication of the government’s confidence in the commission, the recent Scottish Government Budget announcement allocated additional funds, which will enable us to serve crofters better.”

Bill Barron, CEO of the Crofting Commission, added: “Clarity of roles was one of the key concerns of the audit. To provide this clarity, last month we published a new framework document which has been agreed by the board, management and sponsor.

“Increased levels of staffing and the forthcoming changes to the structures within the organisation, along with the steady progress that we have already made towards improvement, exemplify that we are working positively with auditors and elected representatives alike.

“The commission will continue to work to improve our service for crofters and our organisation as a whole.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Following the initial publication of the Audit Scotland report, the Scottish Government has been working closely with the Crofting Commission and its board to address the issues raised within the report.

"We will now further consider the findings of the Public Audit Committee report to ensure that we can collectively take forward the right actions to ensure a sustainable future for our crofting communities.

“The Scottish Government is firmly committed to the future of crofting and the role it plays in sustaining rural and island communities. Over the coming year, many of the actions contained in the National Development Plan for Crofting will be taken forward as part of our reform activity, including improvements to schemes which support existing and new crofters.”

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