The Agriculture (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2021

Part 1 Introduction

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Agriculture (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2021 and come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the 2020 Act” means the Agriculture Act 2020;

“agreement holder” means a person who has entered into an agreement with the Secretary of State for financial assistance under the CS scheme, the environmental land management pilot scheme, the farming investment fund scheme or the tree health pilot scheme in accordance with scheme guidance, including their representative in the event of incapacity or death(1);

“applicant” means a person who applies to the Secretary of State for financial assistance;

“authorised person” means a person authorised by the Secretary of State to carry out inspections and exercise powers of entry under these Regulations for enforcement purposes;

“CS scheme” means the scheme known as the “countryside stewardship scheme” pursuant to which the Secretary of State gives financial assistance under section 1(1) of the 2020 Act;

“eligibility criteria” means the criteria specified in scheme guidance to determine the receipt of financial assistance, including any criteria allowing for selection of applicants on a competitive basis;

“environmental land management pilot scheme” means the scheme known as “the environmental land management national pilot scheme” pursuant to which the Secretary of State gives financial assistance under section 1(1) of the 2020 Act;

“farming investment fund scheme” means the scheme comprising elements known as “the farming equipment and technology fund” and “the farming transformation fund” pursuant to which the Secretary of State gives financial assistance under section 1(2) of the 2020 Act;

“scheme guidance” means the forms, guidance, manuals and handbooks issued by the Secretary of State in relation to the financial assistance scheme in question(2);

“tree health pilot scheme” means the scheme known as “the tree health pilot scheme” pursuant to which the Secretary of State gives financial assistance under section 1(1) of the 2020 Act.

(2) Where a provision in these Regulations is silent as to which financial assistance scheme it applies to, the provision applies to the—

(a) CS scheme;

(b) environmental land management pilot scheme;

(c) farming investment fund scheme; and

(d) tree health pilot scheme.

(1)

“Financial assistance” is defined in section 1(6) of the 2020 Act.

(2)

“Financial assistance scheme” is defined in section 1(6) of the 2020 Act.