Definition of Rural Scotland:
Research has been carried out this year by the Scottish Executive to establish a consistent approach to defining rural Scotland. The core definition is to be "areas outside settlements of more than 3,000 residents", with the flexibility of a framework approach allowing this to be altered to suit particular circumstances or local issues.

Rural Rates Relief:
In December, the Scottish Executive announced plans to cut rates for small businesses in Scotland and provide additional rate relief to rural communities. This will include an extension to the existing scheme to include singly-owned pubs, garages and some shops, and a new initiative to help farm diversification projects.

Petrol Stations:
In March, the Scottish Transport Minister announced £1.2m of grants to help with installation costs of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) facilities in rural areas through the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme. LPG produces lower emissions and is considerably cheaper than petrol or diesel which is important in rural areas where fuel costs are high and many are dependent on cars. The criteria have now been widened to try to increase eligibility for the scheme as take-up has been slow. In Aberdeenshire, five petrol stations have received grants for LPG installation.

Post Offices:
In October, Postcomm, the postal services regulator, produced its first annual report on the network of post offices which will be used to inform Government policy. It found that in 2000/01, the rate of decline in numbers has been greater than in any previous year with four times as many closures in rural than in urban areas. Recommendations include greater support and training for sub-postmasters, research into alternative methods of delivering post office services such as mobile, satellite or home delivery services; and provision of access to Government and community information.

Earlier this year, the Government announced a £2m fund to help community groups willing to maintain or reopen post offices. This will be linked to plans for a more pro-active approach when post offices are threatened with closure and greater flexibility in contracts to allow for different models of service provision. In Aberdeenshire, help for post offices is available through the Council's Rural Shop Support Scheme which provides grants and business development advice. In the last three years, six rural post offices throughout Aberdeenshire as a whole have received assistance and all are continuing to operate successfully.

Rural Services:
The Scottish Executive report 'Services in Rural Scotland' published in January identifies a number of innovative ways of providing and delivering key services in rural areas. Some of these are starting to be taken forward including the production of a good practice guide; setting up a 'Rural Communities' Gateway web site to facilitate communication; consultation and support for pilot schemes to examine the potential for multi-functional service centres, providing a range of facilities and using internet resources. Help is now available to farmers wishing to provide rural services through the Farm Business Development Scheme launched this year. Farmers in Aberdeenshire are being encouraged to apply for help through this innovative business development scheme which provides assistance and grants towards the cost of a wide range of rural diversification projects.