Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government takes issues related to bee populations very seriously and monitors developments in relation to pesticides and insects carefully. For example the Scottish Government have contributed to a £1.8 million study led by Dundee University on An investigation into the synergistic impact of sublethal exposure to industrial chemicals on the learning capacity and performance of bees, which is part of the GB-wide £10 million Insect Pollinators research initiative.

The Single Farm Payment Scheme is regulated primarily by European legislation with domestic legislation (i.e. Scottish or UK statutory instrument, as appropriate) being used for those aspects where member states have a choice over the way in which a measure is implemented. Since the inception of the Single Farm Payment Scheme various European Council Regulations (currently EC 73/2009) have chosen to define eligible land as arable land, permanent pasture or land used to grow permanent crops. Member states do not have a choice over what may constitute eligible land and it follows that land that cannot satisfy any of the regulatory definitions is ineligible.

The Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate''s Agricultural and Rural Delivery Division headquarters staff are responsible for the issue of internal guidance to its 250 professional and technical staff and ongoing support in the form of training in relation to, amongst other things, what constitutes eligible or ineligible land. This work takes as its starting point European Council Regulation 73/2009 that defines what constitutes eligible land. These frontline staff undertake on-farm inspections to ensure compliance with scheme conditions on eligibility and managerial and supervisory controls are used to monitor staff performance. A key element in ensuring a consistent approach is the reliance placed on training delivered both centrally and locally.

Public sector procurement in Scotland is regulated by European Union Procurement Regulations, implemented in Scotland by the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. However the Scottish Government is encouraging the procurement of healthy, sustainable food across the public sector by promoting the effective use of these regulations, engaging with small and medium enterprises and piloting different approaches to helping food producers access public sector contracts.

Public sector procurement in Scotland is regulated by European Union (EU) Procurement Regulations, implemented in Scotland by the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. We are not aware of any plans to change EU Procurement Regulations as they apply to food before May 2011.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35161 on 2 August 2010.

The Single Farm Payment Scheme is regulated by European Council Regulation (EC) 73/2009 and this defines what constitutes eligible land. The Scottish Government''s Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate have taken this as the starting point for guidance issued to farmers and crofters in the form of the Single Farm Payment Scheme notes for guidance as well as internal guidance to its own staff, both in its headquarters and across its 16 area offices located throughout Scotland. 

The Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate issued individual copies of the Single Farm Payment Scheme notes for guidance to 21,500 farmers and crofters across Scotland earlier this year. These notes are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/grants/Schemes/SFPS/GuidanceForms.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35161 on 2 August 2010.

Eligible land is either arable land, permanent pasture of land used to grow permanent crops. It follows that land that does not meet these definitions, which are set in European legislation, is ineligible for the purposes of the Single Farm Payment Scheme. The following is an illustrative but not exhaustive list of the types of ineligible land.

Ineligible land will include impenetrable gorse, scrub or bracken, areas made up of rock, scree, ponds and water courses, woods, buildings, yards, hard standing and roads. Areas of gorse, bracken and unwanted encroachment of dense vegetation need to be carefully assessed for the purposes of claiming agricultural support. The key is not to claim areas of dense cover that are impenetrable to stock and where there is no growth below for grazing. Woodland which has a vegetative under-growth in which livestock can forage is eligible for the purposes of the Single Farm Payment Scheme but if the tree cover prevents vegetation from growing, the area cannot be used as forage and is ineligible.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

There are a very wide range of actions being undertaken by the Scottish Government and partners to reduce child poverty. Our broad approach is set out in the three inter-linked policy frameworks Achieving Our Potential, Early Years Framework, and Equally Well. These link with other relevant policy frameworks, such as the national approach to supporting and working with children and young people, to ensure all receive the help they need, when they need it. They also link to policies promoting the employability, education and life chances of both adults and young people (such as Workforce Plus, More Choices More Chances, and Curriculum for Excellence). We are working across Government and with partners in CPPs, third sector and wider society, to implement these frameworks in a cohesive way.

Scottish Government has also ensured that Scotland is covered by the Child Poverty Act, and is developing a Child Poverty Strategy in line with this. The strategy will set out the measures that we propose to take to contribute to the UK-wide target to eradicate child poverty by 2020, and to ensure as far as possible that children in Scotland do not experience socio-economic disadvantage. This strategy will be published in spring 2011.

Community Benefit clauses are one of a range of social clauses that can be included in contracts. In February 2008 the Scottish Government published a detailed report on Community Benefit clauses with practical information on how and when to use the clauses and since then we have been involved in encouraging their use across the wider public sector. They should be considered on a contract by contract basis.

Use of Community Benefit clauses has been considered for a number of Scottish Government contracts and the clauses have been included in contracts for the Scottish Government Energy Assistance Programme and in contracts relating to the Scottish Crime Campus.

The Scottish Government Ready for Business Programme and the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action and Delivery Plans will continue to promote Community Benefit and other social clauses within the core Scottish Government and across the wider public sector.

The Scottish Government policy on green procurement is set out in the Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, which is broadly consistent with the EU handbook