Rural Delivery Plan: Ministerial Working Group minutes - February 2024

Attendees and apologies

Chairs

• Shona Robison, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance  (Co-Chair) 
• Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands (Co-Chair)

Attendees

• Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport 
• Natalie Don, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise 
• Joe Fitzpatrick, Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning 
• Lorna Slater, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity  
• Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy 
• Gillian Martin, Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work 
• Paul McLennan, Minister for Housing 
• Richard Lochhead, Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade 
• Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity 
• Tom Arthur, Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance

Officials

• John Paul Marks, Permanent Secretary 
• David Signorini, Director of Marine 
• George Burgess, Interim Director of Agriculture and Rural Economy 
• Mairi MacPherson, Deputy Director, Improving Health and Wellbeing 
• Alison Irvine, Interim Chief Executive, Transport Scotland 
• Anna Densham, Deputy Director, Land Reform, Rural and Islands Policy 
• Paula Spiers, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland
• Kate Higgins, Special Adviser 
• Harry Huyton, Special Adviser 
• Brian Grogans, Head of Rural Policy Unit  
• Kate Anderson, Rural Policy Unit and Rural Delivery Plan Lead 
• Donald Inch, Rural Policy Unit 
• Richard Hastings, Rural Policy Unit 
• Lisa Bullen, Planning Team Leader 
• Adam Cox, Private Secretary, Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance 
• Alice Storie, Private Secretary, Minister for Local Government Empowerment 
• Andrew McDivitt, Deputy Private Secretary, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture 
• Chloe Carbry, Assistant Private Secretary, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity 
• Emily Foster, Private Secretary, Minister for Housing 
• Erin Hall, Private Secretary, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity 
• Erin Wilson, Assistant Private Secretary, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise 
• Lynne Dow, Private Secretary, Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade 
• Rachel Palmer, Deputy Private Secretary, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands 
• Robbie Baillie, Deputy Private Secretary, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance 
• Saibhe Brock, Assistant Private Secretary, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity 

Apologies

• Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills 
• Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy 
• Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice 
• Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care 
• Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture 

Items and actions

Introductory remarks

 Ms Gougeon welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Ms Gougeon briefly updated on actions from the previous Ministerial Working Group.

Action point 

Members to provide any additional comment by correspondence to the Rural Policy Unit on papers brought to the meeting by 7th March 2024.

Proposed draft vision and strategic objectives

Ms Gougeon noted the overarching request for a vision for rural Scotland, stemming from recommendations made by the National Council of Rural Advisors, and the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament held in 2023, which could set out the long term plans and purpose for all stakeholders for the Rural Delivery Plan.

 Members were content for engagement on the vision and objectives, subject to consideration of the following points:

• option 2, a list of strategic objectives was marginally preferred as a format to ensure objectives are able to be presented clearly
• need to more effectively capture the opportunities, including investment in rural communities of addressing the climate and nature crises and the anticipated shift in the rural landscape and economy, as we do so
• the vision and strategic objectives should capture the shift in opportunities and benefits inherent to rural Scotland
• the language and breadth of the draft vision and strategic objectives required further refinement and testing with policy teams to ensure clarity, consistency and comprehensiveness, and the different needs in rural areas are reflected (including in early child development, for example)
• keenness to highlight what we have and are delivering and discuss delivery and collaborative cross-sectoral solutions where further transformational impact can be achieved.  We will need to surface and agree these key priority areas
• need to recognise the contribution and value of partnership working with communities, local authorities and agencies and clearly identify the role of the Scottish Government and others in enabling communities to deliver on their place-based priorities

Action points

• Scottish Government officials to consider the above to refine the draft vision and objectives, identify priorities and engage externally, to inform the next update to Ministers
• Scottish Government officials to meet with local government officials to enable partnership working with COSLA

Proposed content structure and development

Members were content with the proposed content of the Rural Delivery Plan. 

Communications and engagement

Members were updated on governance arrangements and communications and engagement intentions for the next few months.

Members noted the opportunities for Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers to add value, focus and publicity to the narrative of work taking place in Scotland across all sectors and regions, through their programme of scheduled engagements (and particularly over the coming summer months).

Members considered the importance of narrative summarising data (in the Rural and Islands Dashboards) and  the existing transformative work taking place in Scotland, which is, and will, contribute to the strategic outcomes.

The Deputy First Minister requested meaningful engagement and that it is appropriately captured. 

Action points

• officials to consider how to reflect existing work and its impact, in the Rural Delivery Plan
• officials to invite a Communications colleague to attend future meetings of the Ministerial Working Group
• Private Offices to consider how public engagement across ministerial portfolios can be appropriately coordinated and captured

Rural lens toolkit update

Members were content with work underway on development of the Rural Lens Toolkit and policy areas identified for user-testing. Ms Hyslop noted that Transport would be a positive option for testing, with a range of activity which might be suitable. Identifying an area of reserved policy was also suggested.

Action point

• officials to approach Transport colleagues and consider reserved policy areas for user testing

Next steps

Ms Gougeon reiterated the opportunity for Ministers to provide further comment on the papers via correspondence by 7th March.

Several themes of discussion throughout the meeting were reiterated:

• ministers and officials to consider how ministerial engagements over the coming months and summer can be used to build connections, support the Rural Delivery Plan and raise the profile of work supporting rural communities
• drafting of the Rural Delivery Plan should build an accessible narrative that emphasises the transformative work and progress already underway across Scotland’s rural and island communities, as well as identifying future opportunities

Next meeting 

The date for the next meeting of the Ministerial Working Group will be confirmed at a later date.