Power back to the people?

A NEW report from the Scottish Affairs committee in the  House of Commons calls for the powers of the Crown Estate Commissioners in Scotland to be both devolved to Scotland and then decentralised to local communities.

Alison Johnstone MSP, who is a member of the Scottish Parliament's Scotland Bill committee, comments: "This report adds serious weight to the case for local democracy and for ending the detached way in which the Crown Estate is run in Scotland. The UK Government must now recognise the case for change. The committee's insistence on a double-devolution of powers, with control ending up in the hands of local communities, is a principle that I hope will get far more prominence in the debate on Scotland's future."

Full details of the report can be found here. It has significance for the allocation of resources, for community access and ultimately for the distribution of wealth and power - which lies at the core of addressing rural and urban poverty.