Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-15844, in the name of Alex Fergusson, on rural affairs. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate ...

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Con

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Well, what a difference a well-timed Scottish Conservative debate and an impending election can make. Interruption. It is a l...

Christian Allard (North East Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Will the member give way?

Alex Fergusson Con

I will later, if I have time. How to best mitigate the most damaging impact of the reforms had been the subject of intense discussion, debate and consultat...

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy (John Swinney) SNP

Will Mr Fergusson specify the bits of the arrangements that were put in place and approved by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment t...

Alex Fergusson Con

I am coming to that, because we do not need to look any further than the new information technology system that the cabinet secretary commissioned to operate...

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment (Richard Lochhead) SNP

If the findings of that esteemed report on the importance of direct payments to farmers in Scotland are as relevant today as they were many years ago, why di...

Alex Fergusson Con

The cabinet secretary will be aware that we are in Scotland now and dealing with—

Richard Lochhead SNP

Ask for powers to be devolved, then.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

Alex Fergusson Con

The cabinet secretary cannot just deflect criticism of his handling of the system by looking at the UK Government. He knows full well that my party will supp...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call the cabinet secretary, Mr Lochhead, to speak to and move amendment S4M-15844.3. Cabinet secretary, you have 10 minutes—we are tight for time today. 1...

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment (Richard Lochhead) SNP

I very much welcome the opportunity to debate what is an important subject for rural Scotland—and the whole country—and to discuss the implementation of the ...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD

In light of the cabinet secretary’s point about the seven-month payment timetable, will he confirm that every crofter and farmer across Scotland will receive...

Richard Lochhead SNP

That is absolutely our determination, because we want to avoid fines from Europe. If we do not have 95 per cent of payments made by 30 June, we are potential...

Alex Fergusson Con

Does the cabinet secretary think that, had we had better weather and better prices, the shambles of the IT system would have been more acceptable? Laughter.

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

Richard Lochhead SNP

If Mr Fergusson speaks to any farmer or crofter in Scotland, they will tell him that those are serious issues that have affected their cash flows. He might f...

Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

We certainly welcome yesterday’s announcement of a £200 million funding package, however late in the day it was, but it is vital for lessons to have been lea...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD

I, too, welcome the £200 million fund that the Scottish Government announced last night, which is to be spent on crofters and farm businesses across the coun...

Christian Allard SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Tavish Scott LD

No. Questions remain, and they are big questions. Can the Scottish Government guarantee that the £200 million will reach farmers and crofters before the end...

Christian Allard SNP

Will the member take an intervention?

Tavish Scott LD

I want to make some progress. Interruption. If Mr Swinney wants to stand up and answer the questions that I have asked, I would be quite delighted to give wa...

Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) SNP

To try to put some perspective on what has been going on, we should consider a couple of quotations. Today, the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association produced ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

Order.

Rob Gibson SNP

What we have here is a motion that starts to discuss the problem that we face. Alex Fergusson’s motion “notes that Scottish farm income has fallen by 15% ov...

Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) LD

It was the Liberals who introduced the groceries code adjudicator when in Government down south and who are calling for the groceries code adjudicator to hav...

Rob Gibson SNP

Well, we are awaiting that with great interest. In the meantime, because our farmers have less support and are getting lower commodity prices, they failed t...

Sarah Boyack Lab

Will the member take an intervention?