Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you very much for your opening statement. We will now go to questions from members, and I will kick off. A few respondents were concerned about the process for consulting on and finalising NPF4. Indeed, National Trust Scotland said:

“We feel that this limits informed Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft framework by not affording the relevant Committees the opportunity to thoroughly examine a document”.

How has NPF4 been rural proofed? That is not clear. Will NPF4 rise to the challenge of responding to the unique challenges of rural Scotland?

Thank you. That completes our consideration of the affirmative instrument. I thank the cabinet secretary and her officials for attending.

I suspend the meeting briefly to allow for a change of witnesses. We will reconvene at 10.40.

The draft NPF4 was introduced on 10 November 2021 and Parliament has 120 days to consider it. There was the Christmas break, and we also have the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill to consider. Is it reasonable that the committee has such a little time to look at a hugely important document that could have a massive impact in rural areas? That 120-day period is not very much, particularly given the Christmas recess. Is it reasonable to expect the Parliament to scrutinise the framework in that time?

I will ask a more specific question. One of the key policies is a commitment to 20-minute neighbourhoods, but there does not seem to be much for rural and island communities in that context. Are there any plans to look at the critical mass of core services and facilities that a community needs to have, given the unique nature of every island and rural community? Will there be any consideration of the same sort of idea as producing a sustainable community within 20 minutes, but on a rural and island basis?

That is helpful.

Could we have COSLA’s view on that question, as well?

I want to be clear on that. Are you saying that the scheme would allow boats that are not registered in Scotland to receive financial assistance? You appeared to say that that would depend on the criteria, but surely the scheme would not allow boats that are not registered in Scotland to obtain grants and funding.

That is quite important.

My understanding is that what we are deciding on today is the establishment of a scheme that allows you to make payments. The instrument does not set out anything further than that.

What stakeholder engagement will you carry out? How long will it take you to develop the guidance around the grant and loan schemes that you envisage will be introduced? We are looking for a timescale for the work that you say needs to be done to set out criteria.

On that basis, if you hope to open the scheme in May, when will you start the consultation process? How wide will the stakeholder group be?