What action it proposes to take in the light of the recent Policy and Financial Management Review of the Crofters Commission.

The Scottish Executive is strongly committed to supporting crofting, and to modernising crofting legislation and administration. The Crofters Commission will play a key role in this.The recent review of the Crofters Commission has concluded that the functions of the Crofters Commission
- namely, regulatory, advisory and development functions
- all still require to be undertaken. The review has also concluded that there is no scope to abolish, privatise, contract out or market test all or any of the Crofters Commission's functions. The review has made two separate (but combinable) recommendations for change to the Crofters Commission:Transferring the Commission's development functions to Highlands and Islands Enterprise;
Converting the Commission either into an Agency or into a modern NDPB.
I have decided that I want to consult widely on these recommendations before reaching final decisions on how best to move forward. A consultation paper is therefore issuing today to all interested parties (including MSPs), and copies of that consultation paper, plus the full report, are being placed in the Executive and Parliament Libraries.