Programme for Government published

Yesterday First Minster John Swinney anounced his new Programme for Government (PfG), which focussed on actions to progress four priorities.

These are:

• eradicating child poverty
• growing our economy
• tackling the climate emergency 
• ensuring high quality and sustainable public services

The PfG identifies and sets out a number of the key activities that will be take forward this year by Ministers, which will help achieve against these priorities and deliver a modern, prosperous, greener Scotland.

Scotland’s rural and island economy is a major source of growth for Scotland, delivering an economic contribution worth £39.075 billion (26% of the Scottish total) in GVA in 2021. However, communities in these areas face a number of unique challenges including higher costs of living. In addition, The Scottish Government face some of the most significant financial challenges since devolution

Against this background, Mairi Gougeon - Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Islands and Land Reform – has written to Scottish Government stakeholders outlining actions she will be taking forward in support of the PfG over the next year.

Ms Gougeon writes:

“As part of our Agriculture Reform Programme, the Scottish Government will support farmers and crofters to reduce emissions and deliver biodiversity improvements, through greater uptake of key baselining activities such as carbon and biodiversity audits and soil analysis.

Work on the Land Reform Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament in March 2024, will continue over the coming year. The Bill sets out ambitious proposals that will help us ensure the benefits of our country’s land are widely shared, supporting communities across Scotland.

I will continue to support the food and drink sector in Scotland as we continue with work on becoming a Good Food Nation.

I will support our land-based and aquaculture industries by continuing work in response to the 22 recommendations of the Land Based Learning Review, all of which the Scottish Government either accepted or accepted in principle, and we will aim to publish the associated implementation plan by the end of 2024.

To specifically support our island communities, I will provide a further £1 million through our Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund. This will help those who are facing some of the worst cost of living pressures. The Scottish Government will also continue to support the six Carbon Neutral Islands, placing island communities front and centre of the journey to net zero. This year we will enable them to take further climate action whilst focusing on the longer term and beginning to exchange knowledge with other islands.

In addition to the measures announced in Programme for Government, I will also deliver the forthcoming Rural Delivery Plan which will outline the actions we are taking to improve the lives of rural communities. It will put a renewed emphasis on delivery in a number of areas such as land reform, housing, repopulation, digital connectivity and economic development.

The publication of a new National Islands Plan will also ensure that the Scottish Government keep delivering on our vision for thriving, sustainable, and successful island communities.

As part of my commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030, this year 10,000 hectares of degraded Scottish peatlands will be restored, helping to reduce harmful emissions and accelerate progress to net zero. We will also create 10,000 hectares of woodland which will support net zero, biodiversity and economic outcomes.

I will also support the introduction of the Natural Environment Bill this parliamentary year. The Bill will address biodiversity loss, protect and restore the natural environment, including elements relating to national parks and deer management that sit within the Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands portfolio.

These elements of the Bill will strengthen the leadership role of National Parks in tackling the interlinked crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and will bring forward significant reforms to the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, implementing many of the Deer Working Group recommendations.

As the Programme for Government sets out, to progress the realisation of our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, I will improve the consenting process for fish farming in Scotland by taking learning from pilot projects in the Highlands and Shetland Islands local authority areas and applying these to deliver improvements across Scotland to give businesses confidence, ensure environmental limits are respected and protect and improve the ability for communities to contribute”.

Ms Gougeon concludes:

“Neither this letter or the PfG itself are intended to be an exhaustive list of everything I, or the Scottish Government will achieve this year. As you would expect, within my portfolio, I will continue to engage with stakeholders across a much broader range of issues, activities and processes, all of which benefit rural Scotland.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in the year ahead”.

The full PfG document can be accessed at: Programme for Government 2024-25: Serving Scotland (www.gov.scot)