Chamber and committees

There have not been any general delays to payments for agricultural sheds under the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme. While it is possible that individual cases may have taken longer to process than others, without the specific details of the case or cases you refer to, it is impossible to go into more detail. However, if you can provide additional information, further enquiries can be made.

In the circumstance where a farmer of crofter has not received an illustration of entitlement letter, they should not delay in submitting a 2016 single application form. Rural payments and inspections division officials will take the entitlement allocated in to account when assessing eligibility for 2016. This is the same approach as taken in preceding years where clarification of previous entitlement position is outstanding.

Farmers and crofters who thought the Scottish Government’s, rural payments and inspections division’s assessment of the provisional payment region allocated to any of their land parcels could ask for a review to be carried out. Officials were always will to reconsider the our decision based upon any further written evidence provided by the farmer/crofter, such as details of when grassland was improved or the type of vegetation present. The review process does not include a physical inspection of the land in question. It is a desk based exercise which takes into full account the evidence provided by the farmer/crofter.

As explained in the response to S4W-29412, farmers and crofters who thought the Scottish Government’s, rural payments and Inspections division’s assessment of the provisional payment region allocated to any of their land parcels could ask for a review to be carried out. Officials were always will to reconsider the our decision based upon any further written evidence provided by the farmer/crofter, such as details of when grassland was improved or the type of vegetation present. The review process does not include a physical inspection of the land in question. It is a desk based exercise which takes into full account the evidence provided by the farmer/crofter.

Our programme of inspections is designed to help safeguard the environment, the public, crop health, animal welfare and meet our obligations for using European Commission money. Scottish Government officials are responsible for inspecting businesses or private property where certain types of animals are kept, both for commercial reasons or as pets. This category of inspection will take place regardless of whether funding has been applied for or not. Further information regarding inspections can be found on line at https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/inspections/

Under EU rules, Scotland cannot unilaterally make the decision to extend the single application form deadline. The extension allowed in 2015 was granted by the EU Commission. The Scottish Government will keep in close contact with the EU Commission about whether any flexibility is required regarding the 2016 application window deadline.

In Scotland, the common agricultural policy (CAP) comprises around 20 different schemes across Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the CAP. Some of these schemes are administered collectively on a single IT system while others have their own stand alone systems. The Scottish Government has acknowledged problems with the new rural payments and services IT system which affects, in particular, payments under the basic payment and greening schemes. Other IT systems are maintained and upgraded routinely as and when issues arise.

EU Structural and Challenge Fund funding spent in each of the last five years in Shetland is:

	Shetland Islands (£)
2011	1,464,495.84
2012	1,257,212.23
2013	2,396,296.36
2014	2,014,228.28
2015	415,829.44
Grand total	7,548,062.15

<>The first such payment announced by the Scottish Government was the Cash Flow Support Scheme for cases of severe hardship. That scheme was announced by myself on 12 February 2016 and was developed in the weeks leading up to that announcement.

There are currently two UK-wide payment schemes for those infected with hepatitis C by NHS blood and blood products which the Scottish Government contributes directly to – the Skipton Fund provides lump sum and annual payments on the basis of chronic infection and disease progression. The Caxton Foundation provides discretionary payments to infected people and dependents, primarily on the basis of financial need. Over the last ten years, the Scottish Government has contributed over £32 million to these funds for those who were infected in Scotland and their dependents.

There are also three similar UK-wide payment schemes which pre-date devolution for those infected with HIV by NHS treatment – the MFET, Macfarlane Trust and Eileen Trust. These are currently managed and funded by the UK Department of Health. We intend to take over responsibility for those who were infected with HIV in Scotland.

Following the publication of the Penrose Inquiry report on 25 March 2015, a Scottish financial review group was formed in June 2015, involving those infected and their families. The group reviewed the existing UK-wide financial support arrangements. It reported to Scottish Ministers in December 2015. In response to the group's recommendations, on 18 March 2016 the Scottish Government announced a package of improved financial support arrangements that will be available in the future for those affected in Scotland. I refer the member to the answer to written parliamentary question S4W-30593 on 18 March 2016, which confirms that the key financial recommendations of the review group have been accepted.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.