22.Section 4 deals with engagement and consultation when preparing or amending a rural support plan.
23.When preparing a rural support plan, the Scottish Ministers must consult the persons listed in subsection (2). These include:
such persons as they consider representative of the interests of farmers (including tenant farmers), crofters, land managers, and those who live and work in rural communities,
Food Standards Scotland,
Historic Environment Scotland,
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Scottish National Heritage,
the Scottish Food Commission, and
such other persons that the Scottish Ministers may consider appropriate.
24.When amending the rural support plan, the Scottish Ministers must consult such persons as they consider likely to have an interest in, or be affected by, the amendments to the rural support plan (subsection (4)).
25.Subsection (5) provides that, when laying a rural support plan, or an amended rural support plan, before the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Ministers must also lay a statement describing the consultation they have undertaken.