Hansard

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of interests as a farmer and former land agent.

The Scottish Conservatives share the concerns of many in the farming industry with regard to the proposals that are in the regulations before us.

There is no doubt that the proposed regulations are important—I want to clarify that. They seek to extend the operation of rural development support schemes such as the Scottish rural development programme and the less-favoured area support scheme, which are a lifeline for many farmers, beyond the current expiry date of 31 December 2024. However, the regulations suggest a new end date of 31 December 2030. A consultation by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee raised concerns that that is an unnecessarily lengthy extension, especially considering that the Government’s “Agricultural Reform Route Map” suggests that 2027 at the latest would be more appropriate. Equally, many stakeholders have raised concerns that LFASS continues on a 2018 payment rate and is in need of rebasing to ensure that it reflects changes to agricultural businesses.

My concern is that, in the round, this Scottish statutory instrument simply sends the wrong message to the industry about its future. Sadly, we are not allowed to amend an SSI, but the Scottish Conservatives have continuously asked the Scottish Government to rewrite the regulations in response to the concerns that have been raised. The Government has chosen not to do so. Although I stress that we want payments and the schemes to continue, we cannot actively support this SSI today for the above reasons.