The Highlands and Islands Agricultural Programme Amendment Regulations 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Highlands and Islands Agricultural Programme Regulations 1994 (“the principal Regulations”).

The principal Regulations provide that an application for financial assistance towards an environmental enhancement measure mentioned in Column 1 of Part B of the Schedule to the principal Regulations shall not be approved unless the eligible person has an application for financial assistance towards a business improvement measure mentioned in Column 1 of Part A of that Schedule approved in respect of the agricultural unit. These Regulations remove that restriction on approval of applications for financial assistance towards an environmental enhancement measure (regulation 4). They also provide that an application for financial assistance towards a business improvement measure shall not be approved unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that provision of the measure is appropriate having regard to existing provision in the relevant part of the programme area (regulation 3(c) and 4); and that applications for financial assistance received after 31st October 1999 shall not be approved and claims for payment received after 31st October 2001 shall not be accepted (regulations 4 and 6).

The limit of financial assistance payable under the principal Regulations in respect of business improvement measures carried out on an agricultural unit is £60,000 in the case of a common grazing, and £20,000, in any other case. The limit in respect of environmental enhancement measures is £6,000. These Regulations provide that the limit payable in respect of an agricultural unit is £120,000, in the case of a common grazing, and £40,000 in any other case. They provide that the limit payable in respect of an environmental enhancement measure is £10,000 (regulation 5).

The Schedule to the principal Regulations sets out the measures eligible for financial assistance. These Regulations substitute a new Schedule which sets out in Part A new business improvement measures in respect of the provision of information technology equipment, alternative agricultural production and the conversion of redundant farm buildings into housing for rent, increases the rate of grant payable in respect of certain of the business improvement measures, and makes minor drafting changes. Where the rate of grant has increased the former rate of grant is shown in brackets in the copy of Part A of the Schedule set out below (regulation 5 and 3(a), (b) and (d)).