Publication - FOI/EIR release

Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments: FOI release

Published: 21 July 2021
Directorate: Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic: Farming and rural, Money and tax, Public sector
FOI reference: FOI/202100217252
Date received: 24 June 2021
Date responded: 20 July 2021

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Information requested

Under Freedom of Information can you please advise how much acreage is covered with the LFASS payments, the total paid out in the past 20 years (breakdown by year if possible), also can you please advise if Scottish environment link members are in receipt of these payments and the acreage that is paid for and how much has been paid.

Response

The table below details, by scheme year, the eligible area paid for under Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) and total amount paid for the last 20 years. The first LFASS started in 2001.

LFAS scheme year	Total eligible area processed for payment (ha)	Total paid for scheme year (£)
2020*	2,866,787.94	28,852,616.93
2019*	2,893,567.09	48,734,746.24
2018	2,920,698.19	63,509,303.32
2017	2,957,907.48	64,146,290.79
2016	2,958,527.09	64,737,227.07
2015	2,972,085.64	64,194,645.42
2014	2,993,420.44	64,729,334.98
2013	3,019,578.79	65,239,350.14
2012	3,041,131.80	65,344,652.30
2011	3,142,360.01	66,148,923.18
2010	3,183,991.37	62,759,907.35
2009	3,317,842.30	61,969,765.59
2008	3,405,049.31	59,058,288.82
2007	3,244,779.44	59,235,975.80
2006	3,399,516.68	99,853,505.71 (includes 39,504,082.73 supplement)
2005	3,422,761.07	60,937,282.04
2004	3,422,202.24	60,704,251.02
2003	3,410,451.49	62,830,419.67
2002	2,543,942.26	63,750,415.27
2001	2,647,158.79	58,908,758.24

Total	61,763,759.42	1,145,792,154.17

*2019 and 2020 payment rates reduced to 80% and 40% respectively due to changes in underpinning EC regulation.

Three members of Scottish Environment Link (referencing the membership list on the Scottish Environment Link website) are in receipt of LFASS payments, these are:

The National Trust
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Woodland Trust

The tables below detail, by scheme year, the eligible area paid for under LFASS and total amount paid for the last 20 years for each member.

The National Trust

LFAS Scheme year	Payment (£)	Eligible Area (ha)
2020	6,990.87	1,086.49
2019	13,437.72	1,076.50
2018	17,320.93	1,076.78
2017	17,318.79	1,076.65
2016	17,309.51	1,076.09
2015	17,277.40	1,078.75
2014	17,401.55	1,081.77
2013	17,462.20	1,085.56
2012	25,172.28	1,564.89
2011	25,190.83	1,566.04
2010	19,903.80	1,649.80
2009	30,212.42	2,310.31
2008	28,865.66	2,484.89
2007	29,002.15	2,488.23
2006	41,418.14 (Includes 16,403.33 supplement)	2,360.74
2005	19,107.38	1,803.26
2004	18,968.26	1,790.10
2003	18,070.12	1,801.15
2002	17,328.16	1,794.02
2001	34,837.94	3,423.07
Total	432,596.11	33,675.09

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

LFAS Scheme year	Payment (£)	Eligible Area (ha)
2020	36043.91	3,032.36
2019	70362.98	2,933.10
2018	87702.56	2,928.34
2017	87398.05	2,932.71
2016	87770.1	3,008.73
2015	87579.84	2,951.87
2014	86350.6	2,882.59
2013	86527.55	2,889.02
2012	86527.55	2,889.02
2011	83269.17	2,758.73
2010	85783.55	2,813.72
2009	78690.72	2,565.69
2008	72751.13	2,859.93
2007	76517.93	3,102.32
2006	70,638.15	2,991.18
2005	105,167.63 (Includes 41,650.65 supplement)	2,902.78
2004	44,818.78	2,164.25
2003	29,104.73	1,092.27
2002	39,638.82	1,573.51
2001	37,613.13	1,674.91
TOTAL	32,544.50	2,046.54

The Woodland Trust

LFAS Scheme year	Payment (£)	Eligible Area (ha)
2020	11,899.17	3,178.86
2019	23,797.85	3,193.31
2018	21,467.25	3,193.31
2017	24,311.31	3,134.69
2016	24,343.50	3,134.73
2015	25,872.39	3,158.57
2014	33,736.04	3,489
2013	32,564.53	3,360.95
2012	29,889.77	3,068.49
2011	29,912.72	3,069.73
2010	16,258.16	3,069.73
2009	28,251.60	3,093.74
2008	28,708.87	3,111.65
2007	28,708.87	3,111.65
2006	43,768.77 (Includes 17,332.62 supplement)	2,947.01
2005	25,384.32	2,887.01
2004	25,384.32	2,887.01
2003	23,597.38	2,867.69
2002	30,281.55	2,868.09
2001	35,909.44	3,044.80
Total	500,279.04	61,870.02

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Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrews House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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