Rural Priorities Budgetary Position Following February RPAC round
The following update was presented to the SRDP's Programme Monitoring Committee on 23 April 2009.
The SRDP Financial Tables set out the funding available for each of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) measures over the life of the programme. The available funding has been spread fairly evenly over the programme period at the request of stakeholders to avoid a highly competitive situation towards the end, and to ensure the draw down of national money can be managed within the Scottish budgetary framework.
We began the SRDP with about £500 million available for new commitments under Rural Priorities (this assumes spend under LMO remains similar to that under LMCMS). So far we have committed nearly £125 million under the RPAC rounds to date, so we have about £375 million still to commit. The actual spending will take place over the lifetime of the projects we have approved - up to five years for agri-environment, longer for forestry projects.
The amount of funding available for spend in individual years is presented in the Scottish Government budget under 8 broad headings, which are based on groupings of EAFRD measures. Rural Priorities draws on the following 5 Scottish Government budget lines:
- Business Development
- Agri-environment
- Forestry
- Rural Enterprise
- Rural Communities
The availability of funds for spending under Rural Priorities (headroom) for each of these budgets for the remaining years of the Programme is indicated in the following table. Figures for money already committed are in £millions.
Key: £ = fully committed; ££ = limited headroom; £££ = ample headroom
Claim year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Business Development | ££ | £££ | £££ | £££ | £££ |
Amount committed | 22 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Agri-Environment | £ | ££ | ££ | ££ | ££ |
Amount committed | 23 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Forestry | £££ | £££ | £££ | £££ | £££ |
Amount committed | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rural Enterprise | ££ | £££ | £££ | £££ | £££ |
Amount committed | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rural Communities | ££ | £££ | £££ | £££ | £££ |
| Amount committed | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
i) Rural Priorities is competitive; as more of the budget is committed over time, competition for funding is likely to increase.
ii) In the light of UK budget outcome, there is no guarantee that the resources available for commitment under the SRDP will remain at currently anticipated levels. The Scottish Government will need to consider effects of UK budget on all its expenditures.