Meeting of the Parliament 11 December 2024
Ariane Burgess is stealing my thunder. If she gives me a couple of seconds, I will come to that in my speech.
In contrast, we are working in partnership with our farmers and our crofters to support reductions in emissions, and these measures are the first step in that journey.
I have heard—and I have a great deal of sympathy with—the position that Rhoda Grant has put to me, which is that smaller producers or crofters may be more impacted than the bigger producers. I assure all members, particularly those who represent crofting communities, that we will ensure that robust force majeure measures are in place, recognising the unique challenges that crofters face.
The Government will review any impacts and, if issues emerge, we will work with officials and industry representatives to build in the changes to the Scottish suckler beef support scheme to underpin the support of cows on crofts and in small herds.