(1)There shall be constituted a Commission to be called " the Crofters Commission " (hereafter in this Act referred to as " the Commission") which shall have the functions of reorganising, developing and regulating crofting in the crofting counties of Scotland, of promoting the interests of crofters there and of keeping under review matters relating to crofting, and such other functions as are conferred on them by or under this Act.
(2)The Commission shall carry out their functions in accordance with such directions of a general character as may be given by the Secretary of State and in carrying out their functions shall have regard to local circumstances and conditions.
(3)The Commission shall consist of not more than six members appointed by the Secretary of State, and of the members one shall be appointed by the Secretary of State to be chairman of the Commission.
(4)The Commission shall include members with knowledge of crofting conditions and at least one member who can speak the Gaelic language.
(5)The provisions contained in the First Schedule to this Act shall have effect in relation to the Commission.
(1)In the exercise of their general functions of reorganising, developing and regulating crofting, it shall be the duty of the Commission:—
(a)to keep under general review all matters relating to crofts and crofting conditions, including, without prejudice to the foregoing generality, land settlement, the improvement of land and livestock, the planting of trees, the supply of agricultural equipment and requisites, the marketing of agricultural produce, experimental work on crofting methods, the provision of demonstration crofts, the needs of the crofting communities for public services of all kinds, the provision of social amenities and the need for industries to provide supplementary occupations for crofters or work for their families ; and to make such recommendations as they may think fit on any of the matters aforesaid;
(b)to collaborate so far as their powers and duties permit with any body or person in the carrying out of any measures for the economic development and social improvement of the crofting counties;
(c)to advise the Secretary of State on any matter relating to crofts and crofting conditions which he may refer to them, or on which they may think fit to submit advice to him;
(d)to exercise the powers conferred on them by this Act in such manner as may seem to them in each case desirable.
(2)For the purpose of assisting them in the local execution of their functions under this Act, the Commission shall have power to appoint a panel of suitable persons resident in the crofting counties to act as assessors, when required by the Commission so to act, and may make to such assessors in respect of any loss of earnings they would otherwise have made or any additional expenses (including travelling and subsistence expenses) to which they would not otherwise have been subject, being loss or expenses necessarily suffered or incurred by them for the purpose of enabling them to perform duties as such assessors, such payments as the Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, determine.
(3)The Commission shall send to the sheriff-clerk to be recorded in the Crofters Holdings Book every order, determination, consent, authorisation or other proceeding of theirs which they may think proper to be recorded therein; and the provisions of section twenty-seven of the Act of 1886 shall apply in relation thereto as they apply in relation to orders of the Land Court.
(4)The Commission shall make an annual report to the Secretary of State on the exercise and performance by them of their functions under this Act, and the Secretary of State shall lay a copy of the report before each House of Parliament, together with such comments as he may think fit to make.