Functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner
Section 24 – Functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner
54.This section makes provision about the functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner.
55.Subsection (1) sets out the functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner
56.Subsection (2) places a duty on the Tenant Farming Commissioner to exercise their functions with a view to encouraging good relations between landlords and tenants of agricultural holdings.
57.Subsection (3) places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to review the functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner within three years of this section coming into force and to publish the findings of the review.
58.Subsection (4) requires Scottish Ministers, when carrying out a review of the Tenant Farming Commissioner’s functions, to seek and have regard to, the views of the Commissioner on the operation of the Commissioner’s functions and, in particular, on the question of whether the Commissioner has sufficient powers to carry out his or her duties. Scottish Ministers must also seek views from any other persons appearing to Ministers to have an interest in the Commissioner’s functions (i.e. stakeholders within the tenant agricultural sector such as tenants, landlords and groups that represent them.)
59.Subsection (5) gives the Scottish Ministers the power to make regulations to amend, remove or add to the functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner.
Section 25 – Tenant Farming Commissioner: delegation of functions
60.Section 25 makes provision for when the Tenant Farming Commissioner can delegate functions and to whom those functions can be delegated.
61.Subsection (1) gives the Tenant Farming Commissioner the power to authorise another person to exercise some, part of or all of the Tenant Farming Commissioner’s functions. This includes the Land Commissioners, a committee of the Commission, and an employee of the Commission.
62.Subsection (2) sets out an exception to subsection (1) and makes clear that the Tenant Farming Commissioner cannot delegate the power under section 24(1)(f) and section 38 to refer for the opinion of the Land Court any question of law relating to agricultural holdings. That is a discretion which only the Commissioner can exercise.
63.Subsection (3) makes clear that the Tenant Farming Commissioner remains responsible for the exercise of the Commissioner’s functions, even if some, or part of those functions are delegated to another person.
Section 26 – Acting Tenant Farming Commissioner
64.Section 26 makes provision for the Scottish Ministers to appoint an acting Tenant Farming Commissioner to carry out all of the functions of the Tenant Farming Commissioner when no Commissioner is in office.
65.Subsection (2) makes clear that if a person is disqualified from being appointed as the Tenant Farming Commissioner then that person is also disqualified from being appointed as an acting Tenant Farming Commissioner. The circumstances under which a person can become disqualified are set out in section 12.
66.Subsection (3) sets out specific provision for when the acting Tenant Farming Commissioner can resign or be removed and allows the Scottish Ministers to otherwise determine the terms and conditions of the acting Tenant Farming Commissioner’s appointment.
67.Subsection (4) makes clear that an acting Tenant Farming Commissioner is to be treated the same as the Tenant Farming Commissioner, except for the terms under which the Commissioner can resign, be removed or remunerated. For an appointed Tenant Farming Commissioner, provision is made for resignation and removal in section 13 and provision for remuneration, allowances and pensions in section 14. Subsection (3) of this section provides the equivalent of these sections for an acting Tenant Farming Commissioner.
