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Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill

The Bill allows the Scottish Government to provide assistance to farming and rural communities.

This is a Government bill

The Bill became an Act on 30 July 2024

Introduced: the Bill and its documents

Overview

If the Bill is passed as introduced, Scottish Ministers will be required to prepare a five year Rural Support Plan. This plan will include details of farming, forestry, and rural development support. The Bill gives Scottish Ministers the power to form a new support framework and provide financial and other assistance. The framework would be brought into law by secondary legislation.

This Bill also makes changes to the Agriculture (Retained EU Law and Data) (Scotland) Act 2020. It allows Scottish Ministers to change, extend or end Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) legislation as it applies in Scotland.

The Bill would also allow the Scottish Government to introduce training requirements for farmers and other workers. The regulation of animal identification is also updated.

Why the Bill was created

The Scottish Government introduced the Bill to support farming, forestry, and rural communities.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a European scheme. It provides financial support for rural development and farming. These are sometimes known as ‘subsidies’, or agriculture payments. Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the Scottish Government will decide how to provide support and make payments. This Bill gives Scottish Ministers the powers to develop a new support framework.

The Scottish Government plans to use this new framework to deliver its Vision for Agriculture. That document outlines the Scottish Government's wider agriculture policy aims.

Accompanying Documents

Explanatory Notes (297KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Policy Memorandum (296KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Financial Memorandum (256KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Delegated Powers Memorandum (244KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Statements on legislative competence (110KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Accompanying Documents (print versions)

Explanatory Notes (334KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Policy Memorandum (527KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Financial Memorandum (351KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Delegated Powers Memorandum (318KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Statements on legislative competence (160KB, pdf) posted 28 September 2023

Crown Consent

This Bill requires Crown consent. It is expected that this consent will be signified at Stage 3.

Financial Resolution

The Presiding Officer has decided under Rule 9.12 of Standing Orders that a financial resolution is required for this Bill.

Research on the Bill

The Scottish Parliament's Information Centre (SPICe) prepares impartial research and analysis to assist MSPs in their examination of Bills and other parliamentary business.

Research briefing on the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill

The Bill was introduced on 28 September 2023

Stage 1: general principles

At Stage 1, the Bill is given to a lead committee. This is usually the committee whose remit most closely relates to the subject of the Bill. The lead committee will consider and report on the Bill. Other committees may also examine the Bill and report to the lead committee. Finally, there is a debate and vote by all MSPs on the general principles of the Bill. If the general principles are not agreed to, then the Bill ‘falls’ and can’t become law.

Timetable for Stage 1

Parliament agreed that consideration of the Bill at stage 1 be completed by 29 March 2024.

Lead committee examines the Bill

The lead committee for this Bill is the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee.

Call for views (closed)

The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee held a call for views to help inform its examination of the Bill.

Read the call for views

Meetings of the lead committee

Engagement

On the 19 February, the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee hosted 37 land managers and community representatives from across Scotland to help inform its scrutiny of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill.

Read the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill Participation Workshop Report (950KB, pdf) posted 14 March 2024

Correspondence: lead committee

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 3 June 2024

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill

Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 23 May 2024

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill: Scottish Government response to the Stage 1 Report

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 26 March 2024

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) screening

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 19 March 2024

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill

Supplementary evidence from OneKind, 19 February 2024

See a full list of Stage 1 correspondence

Stage 1 report by the lead committee

The lead committee published its report on 18 March 2024.

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Report

The committee received the following response to its report:

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (305KB, pdf) posted 27 March 2024

Work by other committees

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meetings

Report

The Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee published its report on 26 January 2024.

Read the report

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee Correspondence

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill response from the Scottish Government

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands to the Convener, 12 February 2024

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill

Letter from the Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, 20 December 2023

See a full list of Stage 1 correspondence


Finance and Public Administration Committee

Finance and Public Administration Committee Correspondence

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill Financial Memorandum - Letter of 19 February 2024

Letter from the Convener to the Convener of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee of 19 February 2024

See a full list of Stage 1 correspondence


Stage 1 Debate and decision

A Stage 1 debate took place on 27 March 2024 to consider and decide on the general principles of the Bill.

  • Motion title: Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution
  • Text of motion: That the Parliament, for the purposes of any Act of the Scottish Parliament resulting from the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, agrees to any expenditure of a kind referred to in Rule 9.12.3A of the Parliament’s Standing Orders arising in consequence of the Act.
  • Submitted by: Shona Robison
  • Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-12111
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 27 March 2024

Result 89 for, 0 against, 31 abstained, 9 did not vote Vote Passed

See further details of the motion


  • Motion title: Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill
  • Text of motion: That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill.
  • Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon
  • Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-12640
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 27 March 2024

See further details of the motion


Parliament agreed the general principles of the Bill

The Bill ended Stage 1 on 27 March 2024

Stage 2: changes to the Bill

At Stage 2, MSPs can propose changes to a Bill. These are called 'amendments'. Any MSP can suggest amendments but only members of the Stage 2 committee can decide on them. 

First meeting on amendments

Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 8 May 2024.

First Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2 (846KB, pdf) posted 02 May 2024

First Groupings of Amendments for Stage 2 (1MB, pdf) posted 02 May 2024

Second meeting on amendments

Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 15 May 2024.

Second Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2 (625KB, pdf) posted 10 May 2024

Second Groupings of Amendments for Stage 2 (306KB, pdf) posted 10 May 2024

Revised Documents (print versions)

Revised Explanatory Notes (464KB, pdf) posted 10 June 2024

Supplementary Delegated Powers Memorandum (222KB, pdf) posted 31 May 2024

After stage 2

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meeting on 11 June 2024

Report published on 14 June 2024

The Bill ended Stage 2 on 15 May 2024

Stage 3: final changes and vote

At Stage 3, MSPs can propose further amendments (changes) to the Bill. These are debated and decided on in the Debating Chamber. At this stage, all MSPs can vote on them.  There is then a debate on whether to pass the Bill. If the Bill is not passed, it ‘falls’ and can't become law. 

Debate on proposed amendments

Documents with the amendments considered at the meeting held on 18 June 2024.

Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 3 (713KB, pdf) posted 12 June 2024

Timed Groupings of Amendments for Stage 3 (786KB, pdf) posted 17 June 2024

Final debate on the Bill

Once MSPs have decided on the amendments, they debate whether to pass the Bill.

  • Motion title: Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill
  • Text of motion: That the Parliament agrees that the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill be passed.
  • Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon
  • Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-13663
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Result 115 for, 0 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote Vote Passed

See further details of the motion


Parliament decided to pass the Bill

Final version of the Bill

Printing changes

Printing changes are changes to the text of a Bill for which amendments are not required. It will not change the legal effect of the Bill.

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill printing changes after the Bill as passed (83KB, pdf) posted 21 August 2024

The Bill ended Stage 3 on 18 June 2024

Bill becomes an Act

The Bill was passed on 18 June 2024 and became an Act on 30 July 2024.

Read the Act

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024