This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Consultation on crofter support
23/09/2003
The public and stakeholders were today
asked for their views on a wide-ranging review of support
available to crofters.
Deputy Environment and
Rural Development Minister Allan Wilson
today launched a
public consultation - a joint exercise between
the Executive and the Crofters Commission - on the future
shape of public support for crofters investing in housing,
land use and small business activity.
The
consultation will cover changes to the Executive run
Crofter Building Grants and Loans Scheme (CBGLS) and the
new Crofting Development Programme (CDP), run by the
Crofters Commission.
The CDP will absorb the Livestock
Improvement Schemes (LIS) and the Crofting Counties
Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS).
The consultation and review also
includes proposals to relocate the administration of the
CBGLS from Edinburgh to the crofting communities, providing
up to nine jobs in a remote area.
Mr Wilson said:
"We all know the needs of crofting and
rural communities are changing. To remain effective, it is
vital that any form of support for crofters takes account
of this. That is why I believe this consultation on future
support for crofters is so important.
"There is no doubt that past
assistance has provided a valuable contribution to crofting
communities and helped to stem rural depopulation in some
of the most economically fragile and remote parts of the
Highlands and Islands.
"The proposals to relocate the jobs
administering the CBGLS to crofting counties - in line with
Scottish Executive relocation policy - can also provide a
welcome boost in a remote area.
"This review offers the opportunity to
ensure public money is well targeted and being spent
effectively - to achieve the objectives of the scheme and
ensure value for money is being achieved.
"So if you have a view on the best way
forward for crofting support schemes don't sit in silence -
send in your response to this consultation."
Crofters Commission Chairman, David
Green said:
"Whilst the use of croft land is
rapidly changing we are seeing the use of the existing
grant schemes declining. It is time to update the existing
grants and combine them into a single Crofting Development
Programme that can support active crofting.
"CDP will enable individual crofters
or crofting community groups to put forward one simple plan
and gain access to support for their land, community and
business activities.
This will be available to all: with
individual crofters receiving up to £50,000 over 5 years,
and crofting community groups up to £125,000 over 5
years.
"If some of the most fragile and
remote communities in Europe are to continue to thrive,
they need solid support.
We want to know what the crofting community
thinks of the new programme and tell us how it can be
improved and delivered effectively."
The CBGLS is funded by the Scottish
Executive to provide assistance to crofters. It provides
for building new houses and improvement and extension of
existing houses.
The existing schemes that will be
absorbed into the Crofting Development Programme are the
Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS) which
supports investment in agricultural activity; and the
Livestock Improvement Schemes (LIS) which provide bulls on
hire and rams for purchase.
The new Crofting Development Scheme will
make grant support available for a much wider range of land
based activities -
not just agricultural activity -
and combine the many existing schemes
together. In time, other schemes such as those that provide
support for new entrants to crofting and for crofting
community activity, may be combined under the CDP.
The emphasis of CDP is on widening the range
of uses of croft land and opening-up support so that it
reaches all areas and is used by a wide range of crofters
and community groups.
The consultation paper invites views
on two possible options for the re-location of jobs
administering the CBGLS, firstly the relocation of an
administrative office comprising up to nine staff to the
crofting counties.
The second option is the use of local SEERAD
offices - with both the field function and administration
being carried out locally.
The consultation lasts
for 12 weeks and response should be submitted by the end of
December 2003. To assist with the consultation and provide
a framework for the review two consultation documents have
been prepared. These examine the schemes in detail, offer
arguments for and against possible changes and summarise
the key issues as a series of questions. Individuals and
local groups from across the crofting area are encouraged
to respond through: