Simplifying agricultural regulation: taskforce report

2. Headline recommendations

The following sets out the headline recommendations of the Taskforce. Annex 2 provides some further summary information on the wider range of activities considered as part of the Taskforce.

Recommendation 1 – Improved mapping

A new Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) tool will be introduced to customers which will address concerns raised by stakeholders and staff. It will allow interaction with various layers of data and provide customers with the ability to amend mapping data online. This will improve the understanding of customers and staff with a more accurate and readily accessible set of data to allow businesses to submit updates to maps quickly and accurately, allowing for more accurate applications for payments.

Recommendation 2 – Mapping Stability during Single Application Form (SAF) window

This is a recommendation that a deadline for the submission of land mapping changes by customers should be considered to allow changes to be submitted by customers and then actioned by the Scottish Government prior to the opening of SAF application windows. The aim being improved stability of mapping data during the submission and processing periods for customer applications.

Recommendation 3 – Penalties

This is a recommendation to explore an extension of the provision of guidance and warning letters where errors are discovered for the first time at inspection rather than imposing financial penalties immediately on discovery, as is required under the current CAP compliance regime in some circumstances. In addition, whilst we move more focus to guidance and education around the requirements of schemes and other regulatory requirements, the proportionality of penalties should also be reviewed.

Recommendation 4 – Inspections charter (all inspections)

A recommendation to explore providing a system that gives customers the tools to self-assess whether they comply with regulatory and scheme requirements. An example of this could be a proposal where this evidence of regular self-assessment could mitigate errors and potential penalties identified during formal inspections.

Recommendation 5 – Standardise capital grant rates

It is recommended the grant rates and specifications for standard cost items across all schemes currently available to customers be reviewed and, where possible, amended to ensure consistency.

Recommendation 6 – Improve EU appeals processing performance

A recommendation to improve the performance of appeals processing and increase learning from EU appeal cases to improve transparency and ensure better outcomes for customers and staff. It should be noted we have already commenced work on this by refresh training and instigated improved monitoring of appeal results.

Recommendation 7 – Improve understanding

The taskforce recommended improvements be made to communications with customers to raise understanding of requirements, both scheme specific and regulatory. Research should be undertaken with end users to better understand the needs of customers and consideration be given to increasing the use of technology to communicate (such as short tutorials and explanatory videos).

We also note that more detailed analysis of forestry grants has been undertaken along with colleagues in Scottish Forestry and customer representative groups in a separate forum and details of that work will be available separately to this document.