Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 February 2016
02 Feb 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Topical Question Time
Single Farm Payment Applications
Earlier this week, I was contacted by a constituent who has yet to receive a letter that details her entitlement. The Government’s online record does not even show an acknowledgement of the farm that she and her husband rent. After having phoned the Government’s helpline, which the cabinet secretary referred to, she stated:
“staff aren’t even allowed to look up people’s payments ... we now seem to have fallen into the hole within the department where no one knows anything about our application.”
Having failed to meet the January deadline, what reassurance can the cabinet secretary give that the measures that he has now announced will allow my constituent and many like her to get the information and, indeed, the payments that they are looking for?
In the same item of business
1. Jean Urquhart (Highlands and Islands) (Ind)
Ind
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of single farm payment applications in the Highlands and Islands and in the rest of Scotland has been paid as ...
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
One moment, Ms Urquhart. Can we check Ms Urquhart’s microphone? I, for one, am having great difficulty hearing what she is saying, and I see from nods around...
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment (Richard Lochhead)
SNP
I confirm that the percentage of first instalment payments made in the Highlands and Islands is broadly similar to the percentage of payments made in Scotlan...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Let us try again. I call Ms Urquhart.
Jean Urquhart
Ind
The cabinet secretary will know that many crofters in the Highlands and Islands region are having a difficult time. Late payments, combined with winter feedi...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I say to Jean Urquhart and other members that I appreciate the pressures facing many farming and crofting businesses throughout Scotland. They have had to co...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
Is the cabinet secretary prepared to indicate to Parliament how many crofters in Shetland will receive their payments by the end of March, given that half ha...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I reiterate that crofters in Shetland and elsewhere face a number of pressures at the moment. I am keeping the banks updated and hope to meet them personally...
Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
The cabinet secretary noted that many crofters and farmers in my constituency are suffering at the moment, and I thank him for his comments about people who ...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
Dave Thompson made a number of pertinent points. Many of the tasks that have been undertaken in relation to the information technology system are one-off tas...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
The Scottish Crofting Foundation says that only 1 per cent of its members had received payments by mid-January. The cabinet secretary might contact the Scott...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I will pay attention to the issues that Rhoda Grant set out. This week we will ensure that as many agricultural sectors as possible are aware of the arrangem...
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
The cabinet secretary is often adept at deflecting attention away from the shambles of the £180 million IT system on which his reformed CAP relies—indeed, gi...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
A separate team is working on the IT for next year’s payments. I assure Alex Fergusson that we hope to launch that as planned for the window for applications...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
Earlier this week, I was contacted by a constituent who has yet to receive a letter that details her entitlement. The Government’s online record does not eve...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I reiterate that the applications have to be processed before any payment can be made under European regulations. We would much rather be further forward tha...
Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
For completeness, only this week I was approached by farmers in Ayrshire who intend to raise the matter of the payments at the next NFU Scotland meeting. The...
Richard Lochhead
SNP
I have agreed to meet a group of dairy farmers later this week, I think—I will firm up my diary today; there is no doubt about that—because I very much recog...