Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 22 January 2026 [Draft]
22 Jan 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Future Farming Investment Scheme
That is entirely fair. I have certainly heard from a lot of people who have lost out, but others have been surprised by their success.
We are supportive of the scheme. I want to see money going to our farmers, crofters, tenant farmers, young farmers and new entrants, but something has gone wrong here, given that 42 per cent applications were ineligible. When a scheme attracts 7,582 applications and almost half of them are thrown out before they are even considered because they are deemed ineligible, something has gone wrong. That is why, during general question time a couple of months ago, I asked the minister whether he raised concerns when his officials told him, “We have had this number of applications, with this many having been successful and this many having been unsuccessful—and, by the way, we could not even consider half of them because they were ineligible.” That should raise serious concerns that should be at the very top of the minister’s list when he looks into the issue, because there is something that must be corrected for future schemes if so many people were ineligible.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The final item of business this evening is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-20387, in the name of Liam McArthur, on the future farming investment sch...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I know that we are in unusual territory, having a members’ business debate on a Thursday evening. Normally, it is a time when only us islanders are still kic...
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
I would like to question the member on that point. The stated intention was not specifically about young farmers, islanders and new entrants; it was about th...
Liam McArthur
LD
I am not sure that I do accept that. To some extent, time will tell, given the nature of the scheme’s objectives, but there is clear evidence, not only from ...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Liam McArthur for bringing this debate on the future farming investment scheme to the chamber. In this context, I will defer to members who have much...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Christine Grahame makes a sensible suggestion. If the minister does not commit tonight to providing that information, will she support my amendment to the Na...
Christine Grahame
SNP
I have to be honest: I have not even looked at the amendments to that bill, so I cannot give an answer to that now. However, I will be interested in them.We ...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Liam McArthur on securing the debate and on the work that he has done on the issue since concerns arose about the FFIS. I agreed with almost e...
Liam McArthur
LD
The point that Douglas Ross makes is entirely valid. For the purpose of correcting the Official Report, I have also heard from people who fall into a similar...
Douglas Ross
Con
That is entirely fair. I have certainly heard from a lot of people who have lost out, but others have been surprised by their success.We are supportive of th...
Christine Grahame
SNP
I think that the member heard me say that perhaps we have to look at the guidance—although it is not the only thing—because part of the issue might be that i...
Douglas Ross
Con
I agree with that. However, the minister gave us the reasons why applications were ineligible, and when I sent those reasons to constituents, they were very ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I call Mercedes Villalba, who joins us remotely.17:19
Mercedes Villalba (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer—I am grateful for the opportunity to take part remotely this evening. I congratulate Liam McArthur on securing cross-part...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
On Mercedes Villalba’s point about big landholders, does she not recognise that big landholders in arable places have every bit as much to add to our biodive...
Mercedes Villalba
Lab
I thank the minister for his intervention, but, as the motion for debate points out, although, in theory, the scheme“was targeted towards islanders, new entr...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests as a partner in a farming business and an applicant to the future farming investment schem...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
You had your answer yesterday.
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
I did not have an answer yesterday, which is why I have asked again today.I am disappointed that the minister will not answer that question, because it is on...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I call the minister, Jim Fairlie, to respond to the debate.17:28
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
A number of points have been made during the debate so I will say a couple of things before I actually get into my main notes.We give farmers the opportunity...
Christine Grahame
SNP
It is not in dispute that the scheme is a good idea, but one has to appreciate that there have been difficulties in relation to the ability of applicants to ...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Christine Grahame raises some fair points, but I will touch on a lot of them as I go through the rest of my speaking notes.Standard farm equipment might be v...
Liam McArthur
LD
The minister is putting forward a robust defence, which is what I would expect him to do in those circumstances. However, the failure rate that Douglas Ross ...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I dispute the point that Liam McArthur has just put to me. Earlier, right at the top of my speech, I said that we are taking all the lessons from the scheme ...
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
During stage 2 of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands said that a review was being unde...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Jamie Halcro Johnston has clearly read my notes, because that is literally in the next paragraph. We published a detailed assessment document before Christma...
Douglas Ross
Con
Made a request to intervene.
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Yes, I will take Douglas Ross’s intervention.
Douglas Ross
Con
I am grateful to the minister for taking so many interventions.At the committee, I was certainly left under the impression that the cabinet secretary felt th...