Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

90 Grants towards crofting community bodies' liabilities to pay compensation

(1) Ministers may, in the circumstances set out in subsection (2) below, pay a grant to a crofting community body.

(2) Those circumstances are—

(a) that after settlement of its other liabilities connected with the exercise of its right to buy land or sporting interests under this Part of this Act, the crofting community body has insufficient money to pay, or to pay in full, the amount of compensation it has to pay under section 89 above;

(b) that the crofting community body has taken all reasonable steps to obtain money in order to pay, or to pay in full, that amount (other than applying for a grant under this section) but has been unable to obtain the money; and

(c) that it is in the public interest that Ministers pay the grant.

(3) The fact that all the circumstances set out in subsection (2) above obtain in a particular case does not prevent Ministers from refusing to pay a grant in that case.

(4) A grant under this section may be made subject to conditions which may stipulate repayment in the event of breach.

(5) Ministers may pay a grant under this section only on the application of a crofting community body.

(6) An application for such a grant shall be made in such form and in accordance with such procedure as are prescribed.

(7) Ministers shall issue their decision on an application under this section in writing accompanied by, in the case of a refusal, a statement of the reasons for it.

(8) Ministers' decision on an application under this section is final.