Question reference: S6W-05761
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 19 January 2022
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Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to funding available through Forestry and Land Scotland for starter farms, how much (a) is available in 2022-23, (b) was available in each financial year since 2007-08 and (c) will be available in future years.
Answer
Forestry and Land Scotland have received no funding from the Scottish Government for their Starter Farm Programme. The funds allocated to the initiative by FLS have been generated by their Operational activities (i.e. management of Scotland’s national forests and land).
The FLS budget for FY 22/23 to maintain, repair and ensure compliance to meet statutory landlord obligations across its nine Starter Farms is £124,000.
The FLS Starter Farm programme was only established in FY 12/13 and therefore no funds were available prior to that year.
FLS made available £1,641,043 of capital to bring the Starter Farms up to a compliant and tenantable standard prior to letting.
The total cost of ongoing repair, maintenance and compliance (to meet statutory landlord obligations) between FY 13/14 – FY 21-22 was £661,858. That is broken down by financial year as follows:
Financial Year | Actual Expenditure (£) |
FY 13-14 | £4,523 |
FY 14-15 | £45,565 |
FY 15-16 | £34,814 |
FY 16-17 | £49,027 |
FY 17-18 | £126,063 |
FY 18-19 | £66,041 |
FY 19-20 | £92,727 |
FY 20-21 | £189,517 |
FY 21-22 | £53,581 |
In line with the established FLS business plan timetable, Starter Farm budgets have not yet been finalised beyond FY 22-23.