Scotland’s seabeds are managed by an ”absentee landlord” who reaps rewards without reinvesting in local communities, MPs have claimed.
The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee published a devastating critique of the Crown Estate, which operates £7 billion of marine assets on behalf of the Queen.
The organisation owns the foreshore and seabed, and is planning to invest in renewable energy resources in numerous parts of Scotland including Tayside and Fife.
But the committee, which includes Dundee West MP Jim McGovern and Glenrothes MP Lindsay Roy, said it is operating ”with a lack of accountability and transparency” north of the border.
”At best, it has little regard for those needs and interests other than where it serves CEC’s (Crown Estate’s) business interests,” said Monday’s report.
”At worst, it behaves as an absentee landlord or tax collector, which does not reinvest to any significant extent in the sectors and communities from which it derives income.”
The committee, which comprises English and Scottish MPs, called for the powers to be transferred to Edinburgh and then ”decentralised as far as possible” to local communities.
The Crown Estate has become a major battleground in the Scottish independence debate, with First Minister Alex Salmond demanding control over all marine assets.
But the Coalition Government has opposed the move, despite the Liberal Democrats having favoured devolution prior to the 2010 General Election.
Gareth Baird, the Crown Estate’s Scottish commissioner, added: ”Our commitment to Scotland and its economy remains full and wholehearted.”
The committee also noted that it was ”surprised and concerned” at the lack of detail the Scottish Government has provided about its proposals to devolve the Crown Estate.
However, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: ”This is absolutely the right approach the communities most affected are the ones which should benefit.”
A spokesman for the Scotland Office insisted: ”The UK Government has already taken a major step towards putting Crown Estate activity at the heart of Scottish life through the Coastal Communities Fund.”