Alex Fergusson,MSP, the Conservative spokesman on Rural Affairs, has lambasted the Scottish Government’s chaotic handling of its support payments to farmers, branding the delays in payment ‘a disgrace’.
Speaking in Haddington tonight in support of Rachael Hamilton the Conservative candidate for East Lothian in the Scottish Parliament elections, Fergusson said:
‘Despite the Scottish Government’s promise to pay 25% of farmers the first instalment of their overdue payments before the end of last year, only a handful have so far received their payments. Richard Lochhead, the SNP Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, is now saying that his officials hope to make as many first instalment payments as they can by the end of March with the balance of payments soon after.’
Fergusson added ‘Despite the Scottish Government investing £180 million of taxpayers money in a flawed computer system, its shambolic handling of, and delay in, making this year’s support payments is down to sheer incompetence and is resulting in serious financial difficulties for the farming sector’.
‘I will do everything I can to stress to the Cabinet Secretary that the payment delays are completely unacceptable and that he must expedite payments to help reduce hard pressed farmer’s financial concerns as a matter of urgency-but the fact is that the buck stops with him. This is his responsibility alone, and he has failed to live up to that responsibility.
Rachael Hamilton added:
‘Since virtually no one in the Scottish Government has a farming background, it is not surprising that many in the farming community witnessing the Government’s incompetent handling of its support payments, combined with the lack of certainty and clarity in the Government’s Land Reform legislation, believe that it has little understanding of the economic importance and concerns of the crucial farming sector.’
‘I come from a farming background and one of my priorities will be to ensure that the farming and rural sector in East Lothian is appreciated and properly recompensed’