Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993

46 Owner-occupiers of like economic status as crofters and other persons. S

(1) The Secretary of State shall have the like powers to provide assistance by way of loan, grant and the supply of building or other materials for the erection, improvement or rebuilding of buildings other than dwelling-houses or towards the provision or improvement of roads, or water or electricity or gas supplies for owners of holdings to which subsection (2) below applies as he has to provide such assistance for crofters; and subsections (4), (6), (8) and (10) of section 42 of this Act shall apply accordingly.

(2) This subsection applies to any holding which—

(a) is situated in the crofting counties; and

(b) is either—

(i) a holding of which the area does not exceed 30 hectares, or

(ii) a holding of which the annual rent, if it were a croft let to a crofter under this Act, would not in the opinion of the Secretary of State exceed £100, or

(iii) a holding which exceeds 30 hectares and of which the annual rent if it were a croft so let would in the opinion of the Secretary of State exceed £100, but which in the opinion of the Secretary of State is not substantially larger than 30 hectares or is capable of being let as a croft at an annual rent not substantially in excess of £100; and

(c) is owned by a person who in the opinion of the Secretary of State is of substantially the same economic status as a crofter; and

(d) is occupied by the owner thereof.

(3) Schedule 5 to this Act shall apply in relation to any loan made to the owner of a holding under subsection (1) above.

(4) The Secretary of State shall have the like power to provide financial assistance—

(a) for occupiers of crofts who are also the owners thereof and who in the opinion of the Secretary of State are of substantially the same economic status as a crofter; and

(b) for occupiers of holdings, other than crofts, situated in the crofting counties which are either holdings of which the area does not exceed 30 hectares (exclusive of any common pasture or grazing held therewith) or holdings the annual rent of which, if they were crofts let to crofters under this Act, would not, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, exceed £100, being occupiers who in the opinion of the Secretary of State are of substantially the same economic status as a crofter; and

(c) for occupiers of holdings, other than crofts, situated in the crofting counties which exceed 30 hectares (exclusive of any common pasture or grazing held therewith) and of which the annual rent if they were crofts so let would in the opinion of the Secretary of State exceed £100, but which in the opinion of the Secretary of State are not substantially larger than 30 hectares (exclusive of any common pasture or grazing held therewith) or are capable of being so let at an annual rent not substantially in excess of £100, being occupiers who in the opinion of the Secretary of State are of substantially the same economic status as a crofter; and

(d) for subtenants of crofts or parts of crofts occupying under subleases intimated or granted as mentioned in section 29(2) of this Act,

as he has by virtue of subsection (1) of section 42 of this Act to provide financial assistance for crofters; and accordingly the said subsection (1) shall have effect as if the reference therein to crofts included a reference to such holdings and to parts of crofts and as if the reference therein to crofters included a reference to occupiers of crofts who are also the owners thereof, to occupiers of such holdings and to subtenants of crofts or parts of crofts.

(5) If any person, for the purpose of obtaining for himself or any other person, a grant or loan under a scheme made under section 42(1) of this Act as applied by subsection (4) above, knowingly or recklessly makes a false statement he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of an amount not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.