§ The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell)The Scottish Land Fund, operating under the New Opportunities Fund's Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities Programme, has made a significant impact on sustainable development in rural Scotland. Since its launch in February 2001, it has assisted 88 projects, worth a total of £8.2 million.
In response to representations from the Scottish Executive and the New Opportunities Fund, I propose to allocate an additional £5 million to the Scottish Land Fund, by increasing the budget allocated to the Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities Initiative from £125 million to £130 million. In accordance with the provisions of the National Lottery etc Act 1993 (as amended by the National Lottery Act 1998), I intend to issue an amendment to the New Opportunities Fund's Directions, subject to consultation with the Fund and the Scottish Executive, to bring into effect the increase in funding for the Scottish Land Fund, through the Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities Initiative.