Chamber and committees

The Basic Payment Scheme application form does not ask applicants to specifically define themselves as crofters and it is therefore not possible to give a definitive answer to this question however I can advise that as of 23 February 2016, payments have been made to 2452 businesses based within area offices covering crofting counties. The total value of these payments is £13,170,898.72 which equates to 14.3% for the total amount paid so far.

It has always been envisaged that the rural payments and services IT system would be delivered in phases however, payments are currently being made in accordance with the European Union common agricultural policy window which closes on 30 June 2016.

Work is currently underway to consider the designation and scheme design for Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC), and this process will include modelling of the options for the new scheme, within the scope of EU rules, before it is introduced in 2018.

We are working closely with the James Hutton Institute to apply the biophysical criteria for the new land designation, and with the ANC Stakeholder Group to consider the principles underpinning and options for delivering the new scheme.

We are also developing the evidence base for ANC, reviewing the relevant elements of the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and analysing the impact of the change of support under the new direct payments regime.

External consultants have been commissioned to analyse this information and provide impartial recommendations based on the evidence. I expect them to report later in the spring and for the Scottish Government to launch a public consultation in the autumn.

The common agricultural policy area payment budget has not been top-sliced to pay for the area payment computer system.

The rural payments and inspections division have recruited 36 additional staff in order to help speed up processing and payments. The location of each of these staff members is shown on the following table:

Office	Staff Recruited
Ayr	2
Hamilton	0
Dumfries	3
Galashiels	4
Inverness (including Portree)	9
Inverurie	4
Elgin	2
Kirkwall	2
Lerwick	1
Golspie	1
Thurso	1
Oban	2
Stornoway	2
Benbecula	1
Tiree	0
Perth	2
Total	36

We are currently processing all of the outstanding land issues including common grazing. The information is not yet complete and we are therefore unable to give a response to this question at the moment.

I can provide some information on the regional breakdown of the Basic Payment Scheme. The information requested is not categorised by parliamentary region and I am therefore supplying the best alternatives I can at present which is the information relating to each rural payments and inspections division local area office as at 24 February 2016.

Area Office	Number of Payments	Value	Largest Payment*	Smallest Payment*	Average Payment*
Ayr	1,084	£14,046,734.23	£222,802.80	£0.39	£12,958.24
Benbecula	221	£244,288.00	£6,742.62	£47.10	£1,105.38
Dumfries	834	£12,911,541.07	£ 198,189.30	£149.65	£15,481.46
Elgin	118	£ 1,086,185.83	£ 38,975.57	£208.86	£8,937.54
Galashiels	763	£13,571,343.43	£161,093.26	£26.72	£17,786.82
Golspie	213	£736,584.25	£30,537.83	£20.60	£3,458.14
Hamilton	514	£5,710,533.42	£77,913.38	£231.51	£11,109.99
Inverness	625	£4,146,111.32	£83,103.55	£59.96	£6,633.78
Inverurie	1,278	£13,707,110.37	£132,320.70	£183.63	£10,725.44
Kirkwall	382	£3,133,959.32	£64,504.41	£142.31	£8,204.08
Lerwick	447	£1,065,102.13	£25,049.55	£45.39	£2,382.78
Oban	526	£3,396,720.34	£51,323.84	£53.23	£6,457.64
Perth	1,248	£17,020,218.05	£247,228.84	£13.29	£13,637.99
Portree	157	£372,917.75	£26,005.67	£104.40	£2,375.27
Stornoway	216	£176,132.59	£4,691.28	£75.53	£815.43
Thurso	452	£3,623,706.90	£85,566.88	£167.34	£8,017.05
Total/Averages*	9,078	£94,949,189.01	£91,003.09	£95.62	£8,130.44

The average holding size of holdings paid is 120.3 hectares.

Budget and payment timetable information relating to the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and the Agri- Environment Climate Scheme are available on-line at: https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/all-schemes/

The 2015 budget for the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) is £32.7 million. SSBSS forms part of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and payments for this will be made in line with the current (BPS) timetable.

The basic payment scheme application form does not ask applicants to specifically define themselves as crofters and it is therefore not possible to give a definitive answer to this question however I can advise that as of 23 February 2016, payments have been made to 2452 businesses based within area offices covering crofting counties, 157 of which are located within the area covered by the Portree local area office.

Payments for this scheme are not calculated using the IT that supports the Basic Payments Scheme and are therefore not affected by IT issues however we have recruited additional staff to give greater capacity in dealing with all common agricultural policy payments.