Question reference: S5W-11327
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 14 September 2017 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 28 September 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications each year to the (a) Crofters Agricultural Grant Scheme and (b) Small Farmers Grant Scheme (i) have been approved, (ii) have been rejected and (iii) remain unprocessed, and how many rejections were appealed, broken down by the number of appeals that were upheld.
Answer
Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme:
2015 – 478 applications – 228 approved – 24 rejected.
2016 – 700 applications – 614 approved – 48 rejected.
2017 (to 31 August) – 559 applications – 461 approved – 56 rejected – 102 being processed.
The reason that the numbers approved, rejected and being processed in 2017 exceed the number received, is due to a number of the approved applications having been originally received in 2016.
Small Farms Grant Scheme:
2015 – 38 applications – 3 approved - 9 rejected.
2016 – 23 applications – 19 approved - 1 rejected.
2017 (to 31 August) – 13 applications – 7 approved – 4 rejected.
In respect of both schemes, applications are also returned, seeking additional information, and withdrawn by the applicant. There is no right of appeal for rejected applications as applicants are free to submit applications at any time.