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A detailed assessment document explaining eligibility, verification, scoring and ranking for the 2025 round was published on the rural payments and inspections division website on 19 December 2025. Applicants may request further clarification of the outcome of their FFIS application by contacting the FFIS team.

I very much thank Bob Doris for raising this issue, because the Scottish Government clearly recognises the distress and the serious welfare and financial implications of livestock worrying for people and for the stock. The Scottish Government supported the introduction of legislation to address those issues. The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021 gained royal assent on 5 May 2021 and came into force on 5 November 2021. Under the 2021 act, owners of dogs that attack or worry livestock can be fined up to £40,000 or face a prison sentence of up to 12 months. The small minority who do not treat livestock with respect and care must be held accountable, and consequences must appropriately reflect the severity of their crime.

Education is a key factor in prevention of livestock worrying incidents and the associated unnecessary suffering for all who are involved. Messaging is promoted widely on social media by NatureScot as part of on-going communication campaigns to promote responsible behaviour for dog owners.

Good, sustainable deer management is integral to our effectiveness in addressing biodiversity loss and protecting and restoring the natural environment. That is why we brought forward reforms to the deer legislation through the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill and will develop a national deer management plan in collaboration with the sector that addresses the barriers to managing deer across Scotland. We continue to trial incentive schemes and we will work closely with the venison sector in developing those further.

It is about achieving a balance, and our work on deer management is supported and underpinned by the objectives that are included in the Scottish biodiversity strategy.

I should say first, in response to Christine Grahame’s point, that the scheme was hugely oversubscribed because that very generous package offered 100 per cent grants. However, as I stated in my response to Willie Rennie, we are carefully reviewing the scheme and will engage with industry stakeholders to discuss how it could be further optimised.

If we had something wrong in how the scheme was laid out and how people were interacting with it, we will look at that. We will engage with stakeholders to ensure that the views from across the sector are taken into consideration. Details of the next round will be announced once the necessary stakeholder engagement has taken place.

First, crofting has a range of specific schemes that crofters can make applications to. Secondly, on the future farming investment scheme, we are still working out why people did not pick up the information that they needed to pick up and why it was not clear enough to them, despite the fact that the information about what should have been included when making the applications was in the guidance. We will work out how to make that simpler for people and, once we have completed that work, we will bring the scheme forward.

I reject the idea that the Government was forced into doing anything. We voluntarily put up a £21.5 million fund to help investment in farming. As I just stated to Willie Rennie, we are currently considering how the scheme operated last time and how we can make improvements. We are looking to make sure that there are clear instructions on how people should read the forms and fill them in. That way, I hope that the people who want to get the money will get it at the right time.

The Scottish, Welsh and UK Governments are currently working on a draft joint consultation document, which will include proposed changes following our consideration of NatureScot’s assessment of the bird species listed in schedule 2 to the 1981 act. We expect to publish the consultation document over the coming weeks once it has been finalised, alongside NatureScot’s report.

Rhoda Grant said that those people should have been prioritised. I remind the member that applying to the scheme was not—and was never meant to be—a guarantee of funding for the priority groups, who still had to meet the scheme’s objectives. I see Rhoda Grant shaking her head at my point. The objectives of the scheme were about investing in what we were trying to achieve in relation to our climate and nature restoration targets, and we made it a priority to encourage the priority groups to apply for the fund.

As I said in my initial answer to Willie Rennie, we are looking at the scheme to work out why people did not understand the forms that we were asking them to fill in. By doing that, we will, I hope, get them to fill in the forms and put in applications that are eligible.

Bob Doris is absolutely correct and, as I said, I am delighted that he has brought the subject up, in particular as we go into lambing season. The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable, and we, as a Government, take it very seriously. We know that it is a particular problem as we go into the lambing season, and the Scottish outdoor access code sets out how to exercise rights and responsibilities when walking dogs in the countryside. We will continue to work with NatureScot, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and any other organisation, including NFUS and Ramblers Scotland, to raise awareness of this important issue.

Following a stakeholder summit in 2024, we established the expert advisory group on dog control and dog welfare, comprising key stakeholders, to make recommendations on a number of issues relating to dog control. The group has established a number of sub-groups focusing on specific topics, including one on prevention, education and communication.

Finally—if the Deputy Presiding Officer will allow me just one second—I wish our sheep shearers Gavin Mutch, Hamish Mitchell, Katie O’Sullivan, Rosie Keenan, Willie Craig and Murray Craig, who are currently competing in the New Zealand golden shears competition, all the very best of luck.

I am delighted that Beatrice Wishart has carried out that work, because the more widely that we spread the word that there are serious consequences to people walking their dogs, the better. People often say, “My dog wouldn’t do that, because my dog is nice and friendly. It wouldn’t harm a fly”. However, a dog’s instincts mean that, as soon as it starts chasing behaviour, it can go from being playful, to a little bit of rough and tumble, to worrying, before the owner knows what has happened. I urge people not to think that, just because their dog has a lovely nature, it will not be a sheep worrier. Such behaviour can get the dog shot and have very serious consequences for the owner.