The members of the group charged with reviewing Scotland’s agricultural holdings legislation will be revealed within weeks.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead yesterday confirmed he was on the verge of agreeing all the appointments just as the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association complained about the lack of detail on the review.
Mr Lochhead conceded the review process would be “quite complex”.
The minister took the tenanted sector by surprise by announcing at the Royal Highland Show in June the review would include a consultation on giving secure farm tenants an absolute right to buy their holdings.
SFTA Christopher Nicholson had asked the minister to set out the remit, scope and timescale for the review as soon as possible.
He added: “We have known for several months now that the government will be conducting a tenancy review but apart from the announcement that the absolute right to buy will be on the agenda we still have little idea of the scope of the review, how extensive it will be, how long it will take and who will be on the review group. It is now time for the Cabinet Secretary to set out his stall.
“This review gives us a chance to take positive action to level the tenancy playing field, create opportunities for new entrants and reshape the structure of land tenure in Scotland.”
Mr Nicholson said the review presented a once-in-a-lifetime chance to overhaul the tenancy system.