Dave Thompson MSP

HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP Dave Thompson is concerned about a UK Government plan to dramatically cut the level of financial support available for the struggling agricultural sector in some of Scotland's most remote areas.

The damaging plan for Scotland's crofters and farmers was highlighted when Mr Thompson asked a parliamentary question of Richard Lochhead, the cabinet secretary for rural affairs, at Holyrood on Thursday afternoon [24/2/11] and was also discussed at a meeting in Beauly last Saturday with local members of the NFUS, the Cabinet Secretary and Mr Thompson.

Mr Thompson informed the chamber that UK agriculture minister Caroline Spelman had announced she wanted to see the end of direct financial subsidies and had disregarded pleas from all three devolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a more moderate stance in advance of preparing a submission to Europe on CAP reform.

The Highlands and Islands politician asked: "Does the cabinet secretary agree that the Liberal-Conservative coalition policy of ending direct farm support would be absolutely disastrous for Scotland, especially for areas such as Ross-shire, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch?"

Mr Lochhead agreed about the likely impact on hard-pressed small farmers and crofters, noting: "The UK Government's policy on the future of the CAP poses a massive threat to Scotland's farmers and crofters and, indeed, the wider food and drink sector.

"The UK Government is pushing a policy that may be appropriate for the home counties in the south of England but it is certainly not appropriate for Scotland's needs and circumstances.

"If that policy takes hold here, it could be disastrous for Scotland."

Mr Lochhead also referred to Westminster's recent submission to the European Commission to the future of the CAP, highlighting a section which urged: "There must therefore be a very substantial cut to the CAP budget."

He added: "This is the last thing Scotland's farmers and crofters need in the current circumstances. We should resist such a measure because it would lose Scotland hundreds of millions of pounds.

"The people who would suffer the most are farmers and crofters in the more outlying areas of Scotland."

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