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RURAL AFFAIRS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Portfolio Responsibilities

The Rural Affairs and Environment portfolio is responsible for Government policy, development and delivery of programmes addressing rural, marine, food and environmental issues.

The programmes of the Rural Affairs and Environment portfolio will ensure that our natural resources are used and managed for current and future generations as a valuable economic asset - a natural infrastructure that Scotland's farming, fishing and forestry businesses can thrive in and which underpins tourism, recreation and food industries; and an environment generally that allows the people in Scotland to thrive while reducing our global footprint. They will:

• promote the health and wealth of local economies and communities through rural development, especially competitive agriculture, fisheries and forestry businesses;
• support action to help ensure that domestic and farm animals in Scotland are well treated and healthy, and that contingency plans are in place for the effective management in Scotland of animal disease outbreaks;
• enable sustainable use of Scotland's seas;
• secure for the future well managed landscapes and biodiversity which people can enjoy and businesses can capitalise on;
• deliver a food and drink policy which promotes Scotland's economic growth through quality, sustainability and health and wellbeing, whilst recognising the need for access to affordable food for all;
• protect rivers, lochs and beaches from unacceptable levels of pollution;
• minimise the amount of waste produced by society, maximising recycling and ensuring the proper disposal of what remains;
• maintain clean air and safe drinking water; and
• protect communities from flooding, climate change and other environmental challenges.

Scotland will be healthier as a result of processes to secure proper waste management, clean air and safe drinking water, and with our investment in access to the countryside and greenspace in our communities. Our sponsored bodies and main research providers will help make Scotland smarter through investments in regulatory science and strategic research.

Overall therefore, the Portfolio will help to drive the delivery of the Purpose while supporting a number of the Government's national outcomes, most notably:

• we realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities for our people;
• we value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect and enhance it for future generations;
• we reduce the local and global impact of our consumption and production; and
• we are better educated, more skilled and more successful, renowned for our research and innovation.

Summary of Key Spending Priorities

The Rural Affairs and Environment portfolio is responsible for over £600m of public spending a year and is also responsible for acting as the conduit for over £400m from the EU, mainly under the Common Agricultural Policy, in the shape of payments to Scotland's 25,000 farmers and 8,000 active crofters.

EU support

The Single Farm Payment Scheme and allied measures under the EU Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) will deliver £455m of EU support to farmers and crofters. This level of support is likely to come under increasing pressure over the next decade with the reform of EU finances and CAP. The Scotland Rural Development Programme ( SRDP) will therefore be valuable in helping land managers and others assist the transition so that Scotland's rural economy can become less dependent on CAP payments.

The SRDP is the Scottish Government's main programme for supporting rural development - worth £1.6 billion over 2007-13, taking European Union money into account. The key targets for the programme are aligned with national policy outcomes, with regional and local needs factored in. The Portfolio currently plans to provide £223.8m in 2009-10, but this is an indicative figure for a single year in this multi year Programme. The profile over the seven year period will need to be adjusted because the delayed start of the programme made it impossible to establish a full flow of grant applications and awards until 2009-10.

The focus of the SRDP is on improving rural business viability and competitiveness, water quality, climate change, landscape and biodiversity, and encouraging thriving rural communities. This will be achieved through:

• improving the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sectors through investment in businesses, increasing the sustainability of local, rural economies;
• supporting the food and drink industry in line with national policy, including £10.8m to be made available through the Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Scheme;
• maintaining and improving the quality of the environment and countryside through investment in land management including afforestation, supporting agri-environment projects and upgrading rural heritage;
• broadening the economic base of the countryside and reducing dependence on farm subsidies through diversification of rural businesses; and
• encouraging community led activity through funding community based economic, environmental and diversification projects.

Supporting rural development

Consistency and coherence in delivery of the SRDP will be achieved through improving integration in the service delivery of the main partners - Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Scottish Government.

Scottish Natural Heritage, the National Park Authorities and the Deer Commission for Scotland will promote enjoyment of our natural heritage through sustainable management of, and improved access to, our natural resources and countryside. They will benefit from an £84.2m budget. Crofting will benefit from £7.4m of specific support, including through the Crofters Commission, as well as through access to the SRDP. The Scottish Government will also continue to promote rural development through activities relating to animal health and welfare, and through veterinary and advisory services.

Forestry

Forestry helps to realise Scotland's full economic potential, making Scotland a more attractive place for doing business, while also making a major contribution to climate change actions.

We will provide additional funding for increased afforestation and increased quality of woodlands in the private sector through Rural Development Contracts, as part of the SRDP, and increase the economic contribution from Scotland's timber and forest resource. Forestry investment will also contribute to urban regeneration and community development. More woodland creation will result from the use of an additional £15m a year from strategic sales of the national forest estate.

Sustainable use of our marine environment

We will continue to fund the fisheries research and protection agencies so as to maintain and improve the management arrangements for Scotland's aquatic environment.

Scottish marine legislation will achieve better protection for the marine environment and more effective regulation of the use of the sea. We will also streamline current delivery arrangements to ensure more effective joint working between regulatory agencies.

We will further improve the implementation of fisheries and marine management by:

• maintaining a strong voice for Scotland in international fisheries negotiations;
• securing outcomes from such negotiations that help our industry's sustainability, profitability and effective management;
• helping the fisheries sector adjust to an era of high fuel costs by improving fuel efficiency, reducing other costs and adding greater value to seafood products;
• improving the management of Scotland's inshore fisheries and developing a Scottish quota management system;
• helping Scotland's aquaculture industry to develop business opportunities and streamlining environmental regulations; and
• implementing a new Strategy for Scotland's Freshwater Fisheries.

Improving environmental quality

On environmental quality we have established a new partnership with local authorities and other delivery bodies to improve waste management, meet our European obligations and move Scotland towards a zero waste society. We want to see Scotland achieve recycling levels of other European countries that have made most progress to date. We estimate that 40% of municipal waste will need to be recycled to meet our landfill diversion target for 2010. We will also take initiatives to minimise both domestic and commercial waste.

We will deal responsibly with the radioactive waste produced in Scotland, giving due regard to the protection of people and the environment and the views of communities.

We will support the development of a flood warning dissemination programme through SEPA. We are developing a vision for river basin management planning, in line with European Union requirements. This will provide an integrated ecosystem approach for handling the water resources for the good of people and wildlife within the major water catchment zones in Scotland. We will strive to improve on the very high standard of drinking water by ensuring that the regulatory regime provides for appropriate monitoring of water quality. We will also continue to improve the standards of our bathing waters around the coasts of Scotland.

We will support Scottish communities in reducing their emissions through the Climate Challenge Fund.

Rural and environmental research and analysis

To provide an evidence base for development and implementation of the policies being pursued by the portfolio in support of the National Outcomes we will provide:

• £80m for strategic and immediate research to underpin the work of environmental and rural policymakers and practitioners, including £5m for capital investment and an additional £1m on enhancing research on adaptation to climate change; and
• £12m for the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh ( RBGE).

In 2009-10, the portfolio will continue to commission programmes of research from research providers, and sponsor the RBGE. The budget will also fund additional research on the environment and climate change. Provision is included for capital investment associated with the research programmes and the RBGE.

Spending Plans for 2009-10 are set out below

Table 6.01: Detailed spending plans (Level 2).

Table 6.02: Detailed spending plans (Level 2 real terms) at 2008-09 prices .

Budget changes

Our spending plans include the following changes made since the publication of Draft Budget 2008-09:

• Increase of £23.5m in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11 due to a transfer from Administration to Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate;
• Increase of £4.3m in each year to support the Climate Change Fund.
• Decrease of £3.9/1.3/1m due to a transfer to Local Government in respect of the Strategic Waste Fund;
• Decrease of £4.2/7.0/7.2m due to a transfer of Scottish Agricultural College education resource funding to Education and Lifelong Learning; and
• A transfer of £4.0m from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency capital budget to the Health and Wellbeing portfolio in 2009-10 to be repaid in 2010-11 in respect of the acceleration of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme adopted as part of a package of Scottish government actions to strengthen the Scottish economy (see page 52).

The Level 2 programmes have also been re-aligned to reflect portfolio Directorate structures and programmes.

EU Support and Related Services

Table 6.03: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

* Indicates schemes fully funded by the Rural Payments Agency through CAP Support.

^ Indicates spend in accordance with the SRDP which is partially funded by the Rural Payments Agency or through modulation of CAP Support payments.

What the budget does

The EU Support and Related Services Level 2 provides via the Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) the main means of supporting the contribution made by agricultural businesses to local/rural economies. Under EU rules, spending in each Member State is subject to fixed ceilings denominated in Euros and the actual spend each year is influenced by movements in the sterling/euro exchange rate.

The Payments and Inspections Administration Costs includes the Science and Analysis for Scottish Agriculture ( SASA) which delivers a wide range of our statutory and regulatory functions in relation to national, EU and other international legislation and agreements.

Budget changes

Our spending plans for this programme has been amended to reflect current portfolio directorate structures. There is no change to the overall portfolio budget as a result of this amendment, but the profile of spend under the Scotland Rural Development Programme over the period to 2013 will be kept under review.

The budget has increased by £23.5m in each year from 2008-09 to 2010-11 due to a transfer from Administration following the re-classification of the delivery arrangements for agricultural regulation and rural development grants administration.

Research, Analysis and Other Services

Table 6.04: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

What the budget does

The Research, Analysis and Other Services Level 2 funds programmes of research from a number of research providers. The main research providers ( MRPs) are the three Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes ( SABRIs), the Scottish Agricultural College ( SAC) and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health at the University of Aberdeen.

The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh ( RBGE) maintains and carries out research on a national reference collection of living and preserved plant material and maintains a major library of botanical works, as well as providing public amenity at its main and satellite gardens. Its mission is exploring and explaining the world of plants for a better future.

The Contract Research Fund commissions research contracts which address specific policy requirements within the portfolio or which encourage collaboration between research establishments and between the Scottish Government and other funding bodies.

Budget changes

Our spending plans for this programme have been amended to reflect current portfolio directorate structures. There is no change to the overall portfolio budget as a result of this amendment.

Budget has reduced by £4.2/7.0/7.2m due to a transfer of Scottish Agricultural College education resource funding to Education and Lifelong Learning.

Marine and Fisheries

Table 6.05: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

What the budget does

The Marine and Fisheries programme includes expenditure by two agencies - the Fisheries Research Services ( FRS) and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency ( SFPA). In 2009-10, we will improve the high-quality scientific advice provided by FRS by starting construction of a Fish Veterinary Aquarium Facility adjacent to its existing HQ in Aberdeen.

Provision is made for residual expenditure under the now closed EU Structural Fund Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance ( FIFG) and for spend under its successor scheme, the European Fisheries Fund ( EFF), as well as domestic back-up grant schemes. Provision is made also for grant assistance for fisheries harbour improvements and emergency repairs.

The first full year of delivering EFF will be 2009-10. While the overall level of funding from Europe will be lower than for the previous programme, the Fund will aim to encourage greater fuel efficiency in the fisheries sector, support the sustainable exploitation of fisheries; achieve a stable balance between those natural resources and fleet capacity; strengthen the industry's efficiency; promote environmentally friendly fishing and production methods; support employment in the sector; foster the sustainable development of fisheries areas; and support sustainable growth and diversification in the aquaculture and processing sectors of the industry.

A Marine Bill will be laid before the Scottish Parliament in early 2009 to achieve better protection for the marine environment and more streamlined regulation of the use of the sea. A public consultation on proposals for the Bill entitled "Sustainable Seas for All" will be completed during October 2008. Funds will be spent during 2009-10 to start to put in place new marine planning and management arrangements and the establishment of a Scottish Marine Management Organisation (to be known as Marine Scotland) which will have a key role to play in delivering these arrangements.

Support is also provided for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors through a wide range of measures.

Some elements of expenditure on food industry support are included here, reflecting the Marine Directorate's responsibility for this aspect of policy.

Budget changes

Our spending plans for this programme have been amended to reflect current portfolio directorate structures. There is no change to the overall portfolio budget as a result of this amendment.

Natural Heritage and Rural Services

Table 6.06: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

What the budget does

The Natural Heritage and Rural Services Level 2 budget primarily supports the commitment, set out in the National Outcomes, to "value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations". Funding through 2009-10 will support Scottish Natural Heritage's ( SNH's) work on delivering Scotland's biodiversity targets, the promotion of access and the helping to ensure that new developments take proportionate account of our valuable natural heritage. Funding for the National Park Authorities will enable them to take forward the National Park Plans which were approved in early 2007.

The Rural Services resources budget supports a variety of small grant schemes and services aimed at helping to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of land-based businesses, encourages other rural development essential for the health and wealth of rural communities and helps ensure that farm and domestic animals in Scotland are well treated and healthy.

Budget changes

Our spending plans for this programme have been amended to reflect current portfolio directorate structures. There is no change to the overall portfolio budget as a result of this amendment.

Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Climate Change

Table 6.07: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

What the budget does

The Environment Protection, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Level 2 budget supports actions to deliver cleaner air and rivers, reduction in and more sensible disposal of waste and protection from other environmental hazards, and supports delivery of our greener Strategic Objective, including action on climate change.

Provision is made to enable the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA) to carry out its regulatory functions and to continue to safeguard Scotland's environment and human health through effective control of harmful pollution. SEPA's spending is largely determined by the need to implement and enforce regulatory regimes required by national and EU legislation. Resources also allow it to monitor the quality of Scotland's environment and to implement provisions of the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act. Provision for SEPA includes support for the development of a Flood Warning Dissemination Programme.

Provision is made to assist implementation of the National Waste Plan. This includes support for programmes to develop markets for recyclate, waste minimisation, waste awareness, support for community recycling groups and for Keep Scotland Beautiful, which carries out anti-litter and anti-fly tipping campaigns and promotes environmental education. This provision is complementary to the funding transferred to local authorities' budgets for the diversion of waste from landfill.

The funding provided for flood prevention and coast protection supports initiatives on flood risk management and research to assist policy development in these areas.

The Sustainable Development and Climate Change budget supports the Climate Challenge Fund and leadership activities supporting the Greener Scotland strategic objective.

Budget changes

Our spending plans show:

• an increase of £4.3/4.3/4.3m to support the Climate Change Fund. This change was made as an amendment to the Budget Bill at Stage 3 in February 2008;
• a decrease of £3.9/1.3/1m in respect of a transfer to Local Government from Zero Waste; and
• A transfer of £4.0m to the Health and Wellbeing portfolio in 2009-10 to be repaid in 2010-11 in respect of the acceleration of the Affordable Housing Investment Programme adopted as part of a package of Scottish government actions to strengthen the Scottish economy (see page 52)

Water Quality

Table 6.08: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

What the budget does

The Water Quality Level 2 supports actions to sustain and improve the health of the people of Scotland through the provision of good safe drinking water.

Provision is made to protect the quality of private drinking water supplies through the preparation of information and advice aimed at improving public understanding of how to protect and maintain such supplies. This is supported by the Private Water Supply Grant Scheme, which provides financial assistance to users of private water supplies towards the upgrade of these supplies.

Provision is also made to support the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland ( DWQR) in carrying out their duties under the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.

Forestry Commission Scotland

Table 6.09: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

* Indicates spend in accordance with the SRDP which is partially funded by the Rural Payments Agency or through modulation of CAP Support payments.

What the budget does

The Forestry Commission Scotland regulates and supports the private forestry sector, promotes the expansion and sustainable management of Scotland's woodlands, supports projects which reduce the impact of timber transport operations on public roads and on communities, contributes to the Scottish Climate Change Programme, and increases the contribution of woodlands to the quality of our towns and cities through the Woodlands In and Around Towns ( WIAT) initiative.

Forest Enterprise Scotland

Table 6.10: More detailed spending plans (Level 3).

What the budget does

The Forest Enterprise Scotland ( FES) budget supports the sustainable management of the national forest estate, maintains effective planning and consultation systems, maximises the value to the Scottish Economy of the estate's timber resource, other forest products and estate assets, conserves and enhances the biological diversity and cultural heritage values of the estate, improves the appearance of the estate, and increases the opportunities for everyone to enjoy and benefit from visits to the estate.

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