Chamber and committees

There is no set points threshold for agri-environment proposals under Rural Priorities. Rural Priorities is a competitive funding mechanism whereby the best quality proposals are approved, within the limits of the available budget. Therefore, the threshold may vary between assessment rounds. However, the threshold is applied consistently across all 11 Regional Proposal Assessment Committee regions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21720 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Rural Priorities is a competitive funding mechanism whereby the best quality proposals are approved, within the limits of the available budget. Consideration was given to how best to maximise the range of high-quality applications which could be supported, based on both the benefits to the businesses themselves, and also to the contribution which could be made to the local environment.

Regional Proposal Assessment Committees (RPACs) have discretion on which proposals to recommend to Scottish ministers for funding, as they are best placed to establish which cases meet regional priorities.

Rural Priorities is a competitive funding mechanism whereby the best quality proposals are approved, within the limits of the available budget. In order to deal with the extremely high-level and quality of proposals in the February Rural Priorities assessment round for agri-environment funding, it has been necessary to consider how to maximise the number of proposals to be approved. For this reason, Regional Proposal Assessment Committees (RPACs), including the Northern Isles RPAC, have extended their consideration of proposals beyond their scheduled meetings.

Additional guidance regarding the application of the points threshold in the assessment process was issued to RPACs by senior Scottish Government officials on Friday 13 March, and RPACs'' considerations were due to be completed by Friday 20 March.

Ministers are currently considering the RPACs'' recommendations and will make an announcement on approved proposals shortly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21722 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21718 on 23 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0312-01.htm

All those seeking funding through the SRDP are provided with feedback if their application is unsuccessful.

In particular, under the Rural Priorities delivery mechanism, a Case Officer is assigned to each applicant to help them to develop their Statement of Intent which in turn should increase the chances of that application being successful. Therefore applicants are receiving continual feedback on their proposal. A re-worked proposal can be resubmitted at any time.

However, if the first stage review identifies staff resourcing as an issue then the Scottish Government will consider how to address such findings.

In recognition that Rural Priorities, a competitive scheme, is very different to previous support programmes, and to assist potential beneficiaries, a series of workshops and surgeries have been undertaken by SEARS staff and organisations such as NFU Scotland to provide an initial introduction to Rural Priorities.

Other assistance we have put in place to aid applicants includes:

Identifying liaison officers in every region to develop local solutions to internet access;

Working with BT to extend broadband coverage across rural Scotland;

Providing an IT helpdesk to assist with login problems;

Providing applicants with information about alternative local internet access points;

Providing training material to NFUS for use in one-to-one surgeries across the country;

Part-funding for applicants who choose to use agents'' services;

Funding SCVO and the Crofters'' Commission to provide assistance for community groups wishing to submit applications;

Exploring the possibility of providing computer access within local SEARS offices.

In particular under the Rural Priorities delivery mechanism, a Case Officer is assigned to each applicant to help them to develop their Statement of Intent which in turn should increase the chances of that application being successful. Therefore applicants are receiving continual feedback on their proposal. Unsuccessful applicants receive feedback on why their application has not been successful. A re-worked proposal can be resubmitted at any time.

However, if the first stage review identifies staff resourcing as an issue then the Scottish Government will consider how to address such findings.

We hope to take decisions on the SRDP first stage review in May and any work on amending the SRDP will begin thereafter. Depending on the nature of any changes resulting from the review, it is expected that we will have to submit a formal modification to the Programme to the European Commission which we will do as soon as reasonably possible following the review. EU legislation gives the Commission six months to consider any modification however we will be able to implement separately any changes which do not require formal approval by the Commission.

Although being carried out over a relatively short timescale the SRDP first stage review is wide-ranging and will be carried out primarily through face-to-face meetings with and written contributions from stakeholder organisations.

As part of the Terms of Reference for the first stage review Peter Cook will look at further improvements to the application procedures to ensure all elements of the programme are easily accessible to applicants.

Rural Priorities applicants can already claim financial assistance towards completing an Outcome Plan, an integral part of the application. Further information about the levels of assistance available, and the applications process itself, can be found on the Rural Priorities website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/SRDP/RuralPriorities/HowItWorks.

Comparator data on the cost to applicants of applying for support through the SRDP compared to through previous agricultural support schemes is not available. However, we do have data on the Rural Stewardship Scheme (RSS) that confirms that 6.53% of RSS applications were prepared without the use of an agent. That has risen significantly under Rural Priorities to almost 28%.