Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Scottish Government budget 2022/23
Letter from the Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, 21 January 2022
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
On behalf of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee, I would like to thank you for providing evidence on the morning of 12 January 2022. It was a bit of a marathon!
There are a couple of areas relating to the 2022-23 Scottish Government Budget where you undertook to provide additional information and I have outlined these below.
1. Business Development Support
The Committee would appreciate more detailed information regarding the proposed changes to enterprise agency budgets in the 2022-23 Scottish Government Budget. In particular, the Committee would welcome further information regarding the reduction in the HIE budget relative to other enterprise agencies and the reasons for these changes.
2. The Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant scheme
During the evidence session on 12 January, the Committee enquired about the lack of uptake in the Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant Scheme, with only £18 million of the £40 million scheme being allocated in the last financial year. The Committee would appreciate further information about the scheme, the reasons for the lack of uptake and what the Scottish Government is doing to address these issues.
3. Marine Fund Scotland
The Committee would appreciate further information regarding the projects that have been awarded funding so far through the marine fund Scotland and on the criteria that have been used to award funding.
Funding for inshore fisheries
In evidence, the Committee discussed the additional pressures facing rural fishing communities as a result of the changing climate and the need to protect the marine environment. The Committee highlighted the work of the Session 5 Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, which suggested that inshore fisheries groups should be funded. Scottish Government officials committed to writing to the Committee with further information regarding this matter.
The Committee would appreciate a response to this letter prior to the scheduled debate on the Scottish Government Draft Budget 2022-23 on 26 January 2022.
Yours sincerely
Finlay Carson MSP
Convener of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee