Stability and Simplicity – proposals for rural funding transition period: A Scottish Government consultation

The Scottish Government has published a consultation to gather views on the proposals for the Brexit transition period in the agricultural sector. This is the start of the process to shape future agricultural policy in Scotland. The BES Scottish Policy Group (SPG) would like to submit a response.

How you can help us develop our response 
If you would like to input to a BES SPG response, you can contribute in a number of ways:

• You may answer as many or as few of the questions based on your expertise – this may extend beyond the questions that we have indicated will be answered (see below).
• Your answers can be in the form of paragraphs or bullet points.
• We do ask, however, that you clearly indicate which question(s) you are answering and that you provide references where possible. We are also happy to arrange a phone call with you and take notes if that is more helpful.

If you are interested in shaping the BES SPG response, please email Maggie Keegan (Policy Officer in Scotland), indicating which question(s) you are responding to, and send us your thoughts, the latest reports, papers or evidence.

Please can we have your responses back by noon, Monday, 23rd July. Maggie will collate and formulate a draft response which will need to go to the BES Policy Committee for approval and then the SPG Committee to receive final sign off ahead of the deadline for submission on the 15th August.

SPG’s proposed approach
On advice from the SPG committee, taking account of areas of expertise, we propose to answer the following questions: 

Opportunities for innovation and collaboration
Question 19: If new schemes seek to encourage collaboration, enhance skills development, help with capacity building, facilitate wider integration into the supply chain, promote carbon audits and monitoring of the soil health, how might pilot projects be best designed to help test and develop new approaches?
 
Performance
Question 22: Do you agree with the proposal to look at moving towards a more performance based approach to compliance, using key performance indicators and better information?
Question 23: Do you have views on the types of indicator that should be used or areas of priority action within the operation of current CAP schemes? 
 
Agri-Environment Climate Scheme
Question 26: Given the importance of continuity of support for environmental outcomes, should the current Agri-Environment Climate Scheme continue broadly in its current form until 2024 or are there short-term changes that could be introduced to i) simplify and streamline the scheme, ii) improve customer experience and/or iii) enhance the delivery of environment and climate change objectives?
Question 27: Are there new emerging environment or climate change priorities that need particular focus under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in the next three – five years?

The SPG committee recognises that some of you may have expertise that will allow answers to other questions in the consultation, so please note we would welcome responses to other questions as well as those indicated above.