Brexit Minister Michael Russell appears before the delegated powers committee to discuss the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill
Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham delivers a statement on the government's climate change plan
The government gives a statement on widening access to higher education
MSPs then debate the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2018
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Relief from Additional Amount) (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 proceedings
The member's debate focuses on the LEADER programme
Image source, bbcThat's all from Holyrood Live on Tuesday 6 March.
MSPs voted to pass the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2018.
Image source, bbcMike Russell insisted there would be "strong scrutiny" of any use of the powers
Meanwhile Brexit Minister Mike Russell defended the inclusion of "very significant" powers within Holyrood's Brexit continuity bill.
Image source, bbcRural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing
Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing says the beauty about LEADER is that it is a bottom up programme.
Mr Ewing says it is not for him to say what communities do.
The rural affairs secretary pays tribute to volunteers across Scotland.
He says LEADER is a fundamental part of the empowerment of communities.
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Image source, bbcLabour MSP Colin Smyth
Labour MSP Colin Smyth highights the excellent community work being supported by LEADER.
Mr Smyth says rural development must be supported regardless of the outcome of Brexit.
"The need to develop a replacement for the LEADER programme is vital."
Image source, ThinkstockThe current Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) covers the period 2014 - 2020.
It delivers pillar 2 of the EU common agricultural policy, which provides support for the development of rural areas.
The SRDP also delivers funding for economic, environmental and social measures for rural Scotland.
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Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur
Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur says now is an opportunity to consider what is needed, what works well and what reforms should be considered with regards to community-led funding.
Straightening out the application process, a more intuitive IT system and ensuring penalties are proportionate would all be areas for improvements, the member says.
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Image source, bbcTory MSP Peter Chapman
Tory MSP Peter Chapman says Marie Gougeon should lobby her own government ministers to come up with a plan.
Mr Chapman says the SNP must stop planning for Brexit to fail and he says the Scottish government should be planning to support rural Scotland.
He says Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing is failing to do that at the moment.
Image source, Dougie JohnstonScotland's National Council of Rural Advisors has called for a framework for financial support for rural communities, much of which currently comes from the EU.
In its first report published in November, the report said the loss of EU cash was a "major concern to communities and businesses alike".
But it identified flaws in the existing model which don't receive adequate support such as former coalfield and heavy industrial areas in Fife, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.
It said: "Regardless of the funding source there is an opportunity going forward to put in place a territorial policy and delivery framework that is better targeted, better reflects the needs of rural Scotland and is better focused on outcomes."
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SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon says the purpose of LEADER is to create a bottom-up, grassroots method of delivering for rural communities.
Ms Gougeon explains the programme has delivered over 1500 jobs in local communities and helped thousands of people into training.
Projects funded by LEADER include:
SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon
"LEADER continues to evolve and innovate", the MSP says.
She argues it is important that policy is developed post-Brexit to ensure such projects continue to be supported.
We cannot afford to lose this programme without a rural development programme which is not community led, Ms Gougeon concludes.
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LEADER is a local development method which has been used for 20 years to engage local actors in the design and delivery of strategies, decision-making and resource allocation for the development of their rural areas.
Image source, Pip RollsIt is implemented by around 2,600 local action groups,covering over 54% of the rural population in the EU and bringing together public, private and civil-society stakeholders in a particular area.
In the rural development context, LEADER is implemented under the national and regional Rural Development Programmes of each EU member state, co-financed from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
In the 2014-2020 programming period, the LEADER method has been extended under the broader term Community-Led Local Development to three additional EU Funds:
See the European Network for Rural Development for more information on LEADER. , external
SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon will now lead a debate on the EU LEADER programme.
Here motion, below, notes:
Image source, Scottish parliament