Chamber and committees

The Scotland Rural Development Programme includes around £400 million for agri‘environment measures, including biodiversity. Actual expenditure will depend on submission by land managers of proposals which will deliver the Scottish Government''s priority outcomes. For agri-environment measures, the priority objectives are to enhance biodiversity and landscape, improve water quality and tackle climate change.

In addition, it will also be open to local action groups to decide to fund biodiversity projects using LEADER funding.

Future support for environmentally-friendly farming will be delivered as part of the new Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) through Land Managers Options (formerly the Land Management Contract Menu Scheme) and Rural Development Contracts Regional Priorities (formerly Tier III of Land Management Contracts).

There is funding of £1.6 billion under the new SRDP which covers the period 2007-13. This includes around £400 million for agri-environment measures. Of this amount, around £170 million will cover the cost of fully funding all on-going agri-environment commitments. The balance of £230 million will be available to cover the cost of new commitments. This represents a substantial increase compared with the sum of £110 million which was allocated for new agri-environment commitments under the previous SRDP.

The 2007-13 SRDP is based on delivering outcomes for rural Scotland and five key outcomes have been identified. These are to improve business viability, enhance biodiversity and landscape, improve water quality, tackle climate change and support thriving local communities.

The options available under Rural Development Contracts were drawn up following an extensive public consultation and by working closely with Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and a wide range of key stakeholders such as RSPB, NFUS and FWAG to ensure the options will deliver for the environment, for land managers and for the rural economy.

The new SRDP has been designed to deliver outcomes that are tailored to the needs and aspirations of local communities and regional priorities will be set to ensure resources are directed to areas of greatest need. This approach is intended to recognise that support is carefully targeted to maximise its effectiveness.

The various elements of the new Scotland Rural Development Programme, including Rural Development Contracts “ Rural Priorities, will be rolled out over the coming weeks.

The precise timetable for implementation depends upon the receipt of formal, written approval of the Programme from the European Commission, which will enable us to lay the required secondary legislation before the Scottish Parliament.

The implementation of the different aspects of the programme will follow, in a staged way, once the secondary legislation comes into force.

Land management activity for the benefit of biodiversity will in the future be delivered through the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13, Rural Development Contracts. As part of an on-going communications strategy for the SRDP, the Scottish Government has engaged with over 400 agents directly and is holding a series of 21 public meetings throughout Scotland, the first five of which have been attended by over 1,100 people. Moreover, over 26,000 potential participants in the SRDP have been sent an information pack with detailed information on all aspects of the SRDP. This information pack is also available from Scotland Rural Development Programme Inspections Directorate Area Offices.

In addition, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will continue to provide grants through its ˜Supporting Biodiversity'' and Involving People grant schemes. This will help ensure that biodiversity projects which are not within the current scope of SRDP assistance continue to have access to a source of funding.

SNH will also continue to promote the EU''s financial instrument for the environment, LIFE+. SNH are leading the promotion and co-ordination of the Nature and Biodiversity component within the 2007-13 programme. The biodiversity strand affords applicants the opportunity to demonstrate innovative approaches aimed at implementing the objectives of the Commission Communication Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 “ and beyond. SNH will advise potential applicants on their development and what other support it is able to provide.

The Scottish Government intends to make a full contribution to the European Union Gothenburg target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 through its work with partner bodies to implement the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and in co-operation with other UK administrations in the UK Biodiversity Partnership.

The Scottish Government published Scotland's Biodiversity It's In Your Hands Progress Report 2005-07 in December 2007, which reports on the range of activities which have taken place in the first three years of the life of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The strategy aims to conserve biodiversity for the health, enjoyment and well being of the people of Scotland now and in the future. The report includes the first suite of biodiversity indicators for Scotland which will assist in measuring progress in implementing the strategy over time.

The duty on all public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity in the course of their duties, which is contained in the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, applies to all their policies and responsibilities.

The National Performance Framework published in the Scottish Government''s 2007 Spending Review included a target for increasing the proportion of protected nature sites in favourable condition. This is available via the following web link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/11/13092240/36.

Eco Schools Scotland have a secondary schools development officer who is looking at ways in which the Eco Schools programme could be better tailored to staff and pupils in the secondary sector. A module on international issues, comprising themes of particular interest to secondary school pupils, is also being developed for inclusion in the programme.

Under section 3 of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland has a function to advise ministers on the standard of service provided by Scottish Water. Any such advice would then allow Scottish ministers to take appropriate action. Furthermore, under section 29F of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland may revise the maximum amount of charges that Scottish Water can levy to such extent as it thinks fit.

The government intends to consult later this year on proposals for future domestic water charging arrangements.