SAC Rural Policy Centre

With respect to spending on rural communities and the environment, the Government argues that the Spending Review focuses on opportunities to make rural communities even stronger and to increase their significant contribution to economic growth. In particular, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead highlights the potential to grow the rural economy through community empowerment, improving rural connectivity, building our world class food and drink industry and enhancing our natural resources, as well as supporting renewables and tackling climate change.

Key elements of the Spending Review for Rural Affairs and the Environment include:

• More than doubling the support available to the food and drink industry (£14 million of support over the next three years)
• Establishing a Next Generation Digital Fund to support the roll-out of next generation broadband across Scotland, with a particular focus on remote and rural areas
• Empowering communities through a range of measures, including the Climate Challenge Fund and the creation of a new land fund to support community land purchase
• Continuing to negotiate on the EU budget for 2014-2020 and ensure a fair deal for Scottish farmers on the CAP and related payments
• Aiming to increase woodland planting to 10,000 hectares per year, with Government investment of £65.6 million in the Forestry Commission and Forest Enterprise in 2012-13.
• Protection for LFASS payments, with more than £65 million per year going to support farming in less favoured areas.

More information on the Spending Review and its impacts on rural communities and the environment is available via the Scottish Government website.

If you wish to comment on any aspect of the Spending Review, please use the box provided below.