- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the points threshold required for successful applications from agri-environment applicants for Rural Priorities funding is in each of the 11 regions.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was made of the impact of the decision to increase the points threshold required for successful applications from Northern Isles agri-environment applicants for Rural Priorities funding on the environment of the islands.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was made of the impact of the decision to increase the points threshold required for successful applications from Northern Isles agri-environment applicants for Rural Priorities funding on agricultural businesses in the islands.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the decision was made to increase the points threshold required for successful applications from Northern Isles agri-environment applicants for Rural Priorities funding.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, at the time that the points threshold required for successful applications from Northern Isles agri-environment applicants for Rural Priorities funding was increased, whether those in the other 10 regions also increased.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers took the decision to increase the points threshold required for successful applications from Northern Isles agri-environment applicants for Rural Priorities funding.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Salmond on 19 March 2009
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet.
Answer
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
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether applicants to the Scotland Rural Development Programme whose applications are turned down, either by a Regional Proposal Assessment Committee (RPAC) or by Scottish ministers, will receive a full written explanation setting out the detailed reasons for rejection of their applications and copies of all documentation considered by the RPAC or by ministers.
Answer
Unsuccessful applicants to Rural Priorities are given a full explanation of why they were unsuccessful and can discuss any questions with the case officer who dealt with the application.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when any changes to the terms of the Scotland Rural Development Programme that could be made as the result of the review by Peter Cook are expected to be made.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any changes to the terms of the Scotland Rural Development Programme that could be made as the result of the review by Peter Cook will include the introduction of a scheme for crofters with small agriculture units.
Answer
The SRDP already includes a specialist scheme for crofters, namely the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme (CCAGS). In addition to CCAGS, substantial financial support to crofters is available from the SRDP through the non-competitive Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and Rural Development Contracts, Land Managers Options delivery mechanisms. All of these mechanisms will be considered as part of the SRDP first stage review.
