Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16876 on 25 April 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

In 2022-23, the Croft House Grant budget was £1.9m, with £1,675,837 distributed to successful applicants.

As a result of a high proportion of house builds being delayed due to material and labour supply issues, officials invited successful applicants to submit their grant claims earlier in the build in order to help crofters complete the work. No CHG application has been refused due to a lack of budget.

Funding under the Croft House Grant is provided retrospectively in up to three stages. Funding committed in any financial year can be claimed by applicants over a three year period.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16876 on 25 April 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Small Producers Pilot Fund will launch later this year to support smaller producers increase the proportion of food grown and processed by small farms and small holders for their local community.

In the Financial Year 2023-24 up to £1 million is allocated for the Pilot Fund. This will support small producers and design the Pilot Fund. Further annual budgets up to 2025 will be informed by its uptake. From 2025 onwards there is no funding commitment due to the loss of multi-annual certainty caused by EU Exit, and the failure of the UK Government to collectively engage in future rural budgets as they publicly committed to.

Co-design of the Pilot Fund is through an industry-led Small Producers Pilot Fund Steering Group. Working in partnership with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), agricultural, small holding and food industry stakeholders; this Steering Group will design a flexible funding approach that supports local food supply chains, improves access to the right training opportunities, and helps link together small producers into existing abattoirs.

Once the Steering Group’s work is concluded, Scottish Ministers will consider their recommendations before further information on the number of producers the Pilot Fund will support and eligibility criteria will be released. We are fully committed to publicising the launch of the Small Producers Pilot Fund throughout Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not allocated any funding directly towards advertising Scotland Loves Local gift cards.

The Scottish Government provides funding to Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) to provide town centre advice and support, which since 2020 includes promoting the Scotland Loves Local Programme.

In 2020-2021, we provided funding totalling £235,000 to STP to deliver a Scotland Loves Local marketing campaign to support businesses in recovering from the impact of the pandemic in their local areas.

In 2021-22, we provided £2.1m that delivered a £1.5m Scotland Loves Local fund, as well as support for local authorities delivering the Scotland Loves Local gift card and additional phase of the marketing campaign.

In 2022-23, we provided £250,000 funding to enable digitisation of the Scotland Loves Local gift card scheme and to encourage additional business to join the scheme.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Local authorities are able to purchase gift cards from the Love Local website hosted by Scotland’s Towns Partnership who are delivering the gift card scheme, working with local authorities.

The majority of civil servants are not allocated to work directly for individual Ministers as part of their roles in supporting and delivering the Scottish Government’s priorities. Work related to my responsibilities is no different.

I have one member of staff allocated to work in my private office.

The Deputy Minister and I had a constructive meeting at the Bled Strategic Forum in August last year during which we discussed the priorities for Czechia’s EU Council presidency.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

The Ambassador and I met on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum in August last year during which she gave an outline of the Embassy’s work in Slovenia and provided me with an update on the political situation in the country.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

The Ambassador and I had a constructive meeting in December last year during which we discussed green hydrogen and education.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.