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Further action to implement Pack recommendations.

The vast majority of Brian Pack’s recommendations to reduce red tape in Scottish agriculture have been formally accepted by the Scottish Government.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead confirmed the move following the second meeting of the Scottish Government’s Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment (RAFE) Delivery Board, which was set up in the wake of the Pack review.

Also on the agenda at the Delivery Board meeting was the Scottish Government’s Future of Scottish Agriculture discussion document, which Mr Lochhead launched at the Royal Highland Show.

The Rural Affairs Secretary said yesterday:

“The focus of farmers and crofters should be on producing food for our tables rather than filling in forms. Brian’s red tape review has exposed the sheer complexity of agriculture regulation and legislation – not just here in Scotland but across the whole of the EU.

“My vision – as set out in Future of Scottish Agriculture discussion document – is for a productive, innovative and profitable future for Scottish farming.

“The Scottish Government and our agencies – through the RAFE Delivery Board - are firmly committed to taking further steps to minimise the bureaucratic burden for farmers and crofters.

“Having considered carefully and in great depth all of Brian’s 61 recommendations, I am pleased to confirm today that the Scottish Government has now formally accepted the vast majority of them.

“Their implementation will now be driven forward by the RAFE Delivery Board. Of course, some recommendations will require action at EU level.

“Our formal response to the Pack review, published today, also sets out what action we are taking regarding the very small number of recommendations we are not taking forward at this time following further consultation with industry representatives and experts.”

Notes To Editors

The Scottish Government’s response to the Pack review has been published http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/doingbetter. All recommendations have been formally accepted, with the exception of numbers 14, 19 and 21 following consultation with industry representatives and experts.

The RAFE Delivery Board is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, or Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Dr Aileen McLeod, and includes senior SG officials, Chief Executives of public bodies (SEPA, SNH, FCS, Forest Enterprise Scotland, the National Parks and the Crofting Commission) plus some non-executives (initially Brian Pack, with two further members to be appointed).

The Future of Scottish Agriculture can be accessed via http://www.gov.scot/Publications/Recent

Anyone wishing to register their interest in the discussion or to submit their views should email agriculturevision@scotland.gsi.gov.uk