THE RURAL WHITE PAPER

In January 1995 The Secretary of State for Scotland announced that the Scottish Office would undertake a review of the Government's rural policies and the mechanisms for delivering them. He added that this would be published in a White Paper in the autumn of 1995.

There has never been a definitive statement of government policy on rural Scotland. The Rural White Paper follows the publication of the Scottish Office Rural Framework in 1992, and the subsequent establishment of the Rural Focus Group. The Scottish Office Rural Framework adopted a thematic approach to opening debate on rural policy, programmes and mechanisms for their delivery. These themes are: Community Involvement, Diversity, Quality, Local Added Value, Effective Service Delivery, Networks and Communications, Europe and Sustainability. The Rural Focus Group which comprises representatives from The Scottish Office, Government agencies, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the voluntary sector, has continued discussion and examination of policies using this thematic framework.

The consultations and discussions that have taken place during May and June 1995 have been influenced by the Rural Framework Themes although those used in the consultation have varied from those identified in the Scottish Office Rural Framework.

THE SCOTTISH OFFICE REMIT

At the end of April 1995, Rural Forum was commissioned by the Scottish Office to undertake a consultation exercise comprising two elements: four workshop sessions for invited participants and four open seminars. In addition Rural Forum with the University of Dundee Centre for Planning undertook an issues questionnaire to inform the consultations as they proceeded.

RURAL FORUM

Rural Forum is an alliance of 23 non governmental organisations with a broad concern for rural Scotland. These sponsors cover a wide spectrum of interest that include: environmental, agricultural, educational, trade union, church, consumer, gaelic and business organisations. Rural Forum also has in its membership a wide range of local community organisations from all parts of rural Scotland including the areas covered by all the Regional and Island Councils. Furthermore, Rural Forum is supported by 43 of Scotland's rural Local Authorities making up the largest part of COSLA's Rural Affairs Committee.

Rural Forum is therefore ideally placed to draw together a range of views and stimulate debate in all parts of the country.

As a stimulus to that debate Rural Forum has, over the past few years, commissioned and undertaken research into a wide range of issues that provides a unique insight to life in rural Scotland as experienced by those living and working there.