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That is where we have been engaging with stakeholders over the past year—we have been considering how we make improvements and how we make the process less cumbersome for people. Those are the kind of things that we are looking at, because the scheme can deliver so much. It has been one of the key climate delivery mechanisms—whether for tackling emissions or for nature restoration. We want to make those improvements where possible while trying to address some of the challenges that you have identified.

If you consider that in terms of AECS, as you were pointing out—although I cannot remember which figures you were basing your point on—that looks like a fault. It is hard to say, as the process is demand led, which I hope that I have been able to explain. However, that could well change over time.

I am sorry: I have perhaps not been able to explain that fully, but we are not necessarily comparing like with like, as I have explained, given how AECS operates. That will be the key mechanism through which we would look to deliver tier 3, until we get the future framework fully operational.

That would be a consideration for next year’s budget, because we have not opened the 2026 round.

Yes. As I said, what we have in the budget for 2026-27 covers the previous year’s contracts, and it means that we will be able to award all the successful applications from the 2025 round.

We have had to look at that closely in previous years. We have ended up restricting rounds or the support that is available purely because we are trying to focus that support on the measures that we believe will do the most for climate and nature. The scheme was quite expansive and it funded quite a lot of different areas. I know that some people would like to see that approach return. However, as we have had less capital available, we have had to target it as best we could.

It is not possible for me to predict what will happen next year. When we open the round, we could well see more applications, because we are trying to make improvements to the scheme. However, as I said, we certainly have enough this financial year to cover the most recent round of applications.

I would be happy to, because they are not always apparent. Some of the budget lines can be unhelpful in their descriptions and they do not necessarily outline all the details of the schemes that run under them.

One of the key lines in the budget that delivers on the skills aspects that you are talking about is the business development line, which has had an increase on the previous year. Through that line, we provide funding for the Farm Advisory Service, new entrants and the next generation, and the pre-apprenticeship programme. Some of the funding that is earmarked for new entrants and the next generation has been used for practical training funds, which have been well utilised and broadly welcomed by the sector.

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I should also mention the monitor farm network and the knowledge transfer and innovation fund, which have been critical for peer-to-peer learning. We know that those are important, as that came out strongly in the evidence that we heard during the passage of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.

That is the business development line, but there are other lines across the budget where there is funding for skills, although it might not be so apparent. There is the funding of £600,000 that we provide to Lantra, which does incredible work. It led the work that we did on the land-based learning review, and we are still committed to implementing the recommendations that came out of that. We have funding for Women in Agriculture, some of which has been used for a practical training fund for women and girls.

More broadly, funding is available through the food and drink budget. This is more about education, but we provide funding through those lines for the likes of the Royal Highland Educational Trust, the food for life scheme and other areas involving food education and skills, such as the food for thought education fund.

It is quite hard, because it seems like the funding is a bit all over the place when you consider the budget lines. However, I hope that that is helpful in outlining some of the schemes that are available and that we are delivering.

Absolutely. As I touched on in my initial response, the commission has made really good strides in improving its regulatory performance. I believe that it has already been directing resource specifically to enforcement, but I hope that, with the new funding that has been allocated, it will be fully resourced to deliver on the provisions in the bill, as well as continuing to improve its performance and ensure that it undertakes enforcement.

Yes.

The cut that took place in, I think, 2024-25 was significant. We had invested more in woodland creation over the previous year. However, we also recognise that it will take a bit of time to ramp up to the rate of planting that we hope to see and that we have set out in the climate change plan. The budget that we have allocated to woodland creation in this year’s budget will help us to reach the targets that are set out in that plan.

I have certainly heard from FLS that it is not expecting any additional budget pressure from the measures that are in the bill. I believe that it is quite confident on that.