Hansard

The Convener: Lab

The committee will consider two statutory instruments that are subject to the affirmative procedure, the first of which is the draft Farm Woodland Premium Sc...

The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Sarah Boyack): Lab

Thank you. I am accompanied by Jim Johnstone, from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, and James Simpson, from Forestry Commissi...

Rob Gibson: SNP

Thank you for your explanation. Can you give us a ball-park figure for the number of people who will be affected by the change? How many people are served by...

Jim Johnstone (Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department):

There are about 3,000 participants in the scheme, about 90 to 100 of whom use the set-aside option each year—doing so is purely optional.

Rob Gibson: SNP

Do you have any idea how much demand might not be met?

Jim Johnstone:

Do you mean demand for the scheme itself, as opposed to demand for the set-aside option?

Rob Gibson: SNP

Yes.

Jim Johnstone:

The scheme receives a steady stream of applications—perhaps 30 or 40 per month. Applicants will have to wait until the replacement scheme comes into effect.

Elaine Smith: Lab

I welcome the minister to the committee in her new role. Will the draft instrument simply make technical amendments and not lead to a reduction in the overal...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

Yes, in essence the amendments are technical. What happens next is that the Scottish rural development plan will bring in a new opportunity for woodland gran...

Elaine Smith: Lab

Will no one lose out?

Sarah Boyack: Lab

No one who is currently getting money will lose out. We will then move on to the new system.

Nora Radcliffe: LD

What is the timescale for the move to the new system? Will it have the capacity to cope with demand, given that there are currently 30 applications a month?

James Simpson (Forestry Commission Scotland):

Land management contracts are being worked up. Officials from SEERAD, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage are working together to ensu...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

The rural development plan will have to be approved by the European Commission. We are not quite there yet; the draft instrument is part of a process.

Nora Radcliffe: LD

I presume that the optimum time for planting is the end of the year. Will a season be missed, or is that a silly question?

James Simpson:

It is a bit early to say, but practical people might guess that there might be a bit less activity during this planting season—the 2007-08 season—than in pre...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

We will keep an eye on the issue as we move from the current scheme to the new one.

Nora Radcliffe: LD

However, if there is a delay, we might end up actually skipping a year.

Sarah Boyack: Lab

That is why we need to ensure that the land management contracts are put in place and that we get permission from Europe for the rural development plan. We p...

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): SNP

I, too, welcome the minister to her new role.Further to Rob Gibson's point and that response to Nora Radcliffe's question, I have heard many concerns from fo...

James Simpson:

I cannot give the committee those figures today, but I can certainly supply a breakdown of how the Scottish forestry grants scheme has been allocated across ...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

We will be happy to send that breakdown if the committee will find that helpful.

Richard Lochhead: SNP

I have a quick follow-up question. If I heard correctly, James Simpson said that one might predict that the planting rates for 2007-08 will decline. Can he g...

James Simpson:

I think that the decline is dependent on the availability of a scheme to which people can apply. At the moment, there is no scheme to which applications can ...

Mr Morrison: Lab

Following up Richard Lochhead's question about the recreational use of forests, am I right in thinking that, as well as the recreational imperative, there is...

James Simpson:

Absolutely, yes. In the Scottish forestry strategy, we took the approach that multiple objectives can apply to the use of woodlands. The growing of trees for...

The Convener: Lab

Thank you. Obviously, the committee might wish to keep an eye on some aspects of the issue.As there are no more questions, we will move to the debate on the ...

Sarah Boyack: Lab

The draft instrument is part of our on-going CAP reform process involving the production of land management contracts and the Scottish rural development plan...

The Convener: Lab

As no member wishes to speak, I will put the question, which is, that motion S2M-5340 be agreed to.