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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 18 July 2025
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Displaying 930 contributions

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Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 17 January 2024

Kate Forbes

On a more general point, are you content that we are on track to meet our planting targets? I am conscious that, at the end of the day, the debate about the budget is about whether we can achieve our aims and ambitions. The Government has very ambitious planting targets that we are required to meet.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 17 January 2024

Kate Forbes

To go back to a point that the cabinet secretary has already made on the £15 million that has been returned, it is encouraging to hear that that is now capital. To clarify, I am assuming that the way in which that is already split in the budget will remain. You talked about unfunded priorities in terms of agri-transformation, crofting grants and so on. Beyond its being changed to capital, will there be any other changes to the split in the budget?

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 17 January 2024

Kate Forbes

That is not a problem at all, convener, and thanks very much for bringing me in.

It is good to see you, cabinet secretary. I want to go back briefly to the convener’s question about the budget. You said that the budget for rural and islands is £864 million. How does that compare in cash terms to last year’s budget? I ask that because I assume that one of the reasons why this is such a challenging budget for rural affairs—as it is for every other area—is the inflationary environment, which is neither farmers’ fault nor the Scottish Government’s fault.

I will add a mini supplementary to my question. What percentage of the budget is going directly to farmers as cash in their pocket? Does that compare well with elsewhere in the UK?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 11 January 2024

Kate Forbes

Just for absolute clarity, are you saying that, because that money is not in the budget currently, you are expecting it to be additional to what is in the budget over the next financial year?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 11 January 2024

Kate Forbes

Again, these are just points for clarification. I appreciate that you wrote as recently as 4 January and that it is therefore unlikely that there have been any big changes since then, but at the time you said that the national lottery budget had not yet been approved by the board. How do you expect it to compare with the £32.4 million in last year’s budget?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 11 January 2024

Kate Forbes

After the budget was announced, you said that you were able to maintain funding for the current cohort of regularly funded organisations and that the contracting process would take place in the new year. I assume that that is well under way and continuing. Was there any discussion at the time about whether that funding could be expanded or reduced, or was it just agreed that you would maintain it at the same level?

My second question is about the intention that was announced to add a further £25 million to the culture budget in 2025-26. Forgive me if I have missed something, misunderstood it, or if you have already alluded to it, but is there any clarity on how that funding is to be given to the culture sector? Are there any caveats? Is it subject to anything?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 11 January 2024

Kate Forbes

Got you.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 11 January 2024

Kate Forbes

Thank you.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2024-25

Meeting date: 11 January 2024

Kate Forbes

Thanks.

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee

Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 20 December 2023

Kate Forbes

In the first few minutes of this evidence session, some people have said that this is about land, some have said that it is about ecosystems, some have said that it is about communities and some have said that it is about food. Can we manage all the different objectives simultaneously in the way that the previous CAP system did quite effectively? Obviously, the bill is about agriculture and rural communities. First, are there any inherent conflicts between the objectives, as they stand? Secondly, would it be possible to add objectives while retaining the focus?