Strategic plan and programme of work
Section 8 – Strategic plan
16.To provide for proper corporate governance within the Commission, section 8 imposes a duty on the Commission to regularly set out in a strategic plan how it, the Land Commissioners and the Tenant Farming Commissioner plan to exercise their functions.
17.Subsection (2) requires the Commission to include in each strategic plan the objectives and priorities of the Commission, the Land Commissioners and the Tenant Farming Commissioner, and cost estimates for the exercise of their respective functions. Subsections (3) to (7) set out the required time frames and procedure for the preparation of each strategic plan. In particular, the strategic plan must be submitted to the Scottish Ministers under subsection (3) and, following the approval of the plan, it must be published and laid before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (5). The Scottish Ministers may reject the strategic plan and direct the Commission to submit a revised strategic plan (subsection (4)(c)).
Section 9 – Programme of work
18.In addition to the strategic plan required under section 8, section 9 imposes a duty on the Land Commissioners to prepare a programme of work to set out information on the proposed reviews into the impact and effectiveness of any law or policy under section 22(1)(a), information about other activities being undertaken by the Land Commissioners and the timetable for the programme of work. The programme of work must be submitted to the Scottish Ministers by the Commission on behalf of the Land Commissioners at the same time as the strategic plan, but the Scottish Ministers cannot reject the programme of work. There is no duty on Scottish Ministers to comment upon the programme of work and no duty on the Commissioners to take into account any direction or comment made by the Scottish Ministers. The Commission must then publish the programme of work and lay a copy before the Scottish Parliament. Subsection (4) enables the Commission to submit a revised programme of work to Ministers and subsection (5) places a duty on the Commission to publish and lay before the Scottish Parliament any revised programme.