Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (S.S.I. No. 70 of 2004).

These Regulations apply to holdings in respect of which the Scottish Ministers are the competent authority under the Integrated Administration and Control System Regulations 1993. Applications for less favoured area support ("LFAS") are to be made to the Scottish Ministers on a date which they shall determine each year. Failure to meet the deadline will result in reduction of the payment of support (reg. 3). Eligibility for payment of LFAS is dependent upon the applicant meeting the criteria set out in regulation 4. It can only be paid to an applicant who carries out an eligible agricultural activity (defined in reg. 2(1)) on eligible land (defined in reg. 6). No payment will be made where the amount of eligible land is less than 3 hectares (reg. 5). There is provision at regulation 7 to determine to whom payment should be made where a holding is transferred during a Scheme Year. LFAS is paid for eligible hectares on farms in Scottish less favoured areas at specified rates (regs. 8 and 12). The rate is fixed according to the grazing category (reg. 9 and Schedule 4) and the fragility of the parish in which the main farm of the applicant lies (reg. 12 and Schedule 7).