Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
25 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Portfolio Question Time
Direct Support Payments
The rural support plan that was published just yesterday is a huge let-down. It is not just me who is saying that—many stakeholders are, too. Importantly, the figures in the plan amount to a real-terms cut of about £250 million, which is a huge decrease in funding to our rural sector. Despite the wide calls for more funding that have been made by stakeholders and the fact that the sector is being asked to deliver so much, why has the Scottish National Party Government chosen to let down our rural sector with its funding announcement?
In the same item of business
5. Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
SNP
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid to the agricultural sector in direct support payments over the course of the current parliamentary sessio...
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
The Scottish Government invested £2.416 billion in the agricultural sector in direct support payments in the five years from 2021 to 2025. Those payments wer...
Bob Doris
SNP
I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government’s package of support is the most generous package of direct support in the UK, but can the minister reassure ...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Bob Doris raises a very good point. I emphasise again that the Scottish Government cares deeply about our farmers and crofters and our natural environment. T...
Tim Eagle (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The rural support plan that was published just yesterday is a huge let-down. It is not just me who is saying that—many stakeholders are, too. Importantly, th...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I am sorry, but if anyone has let down the rural sector, it is members of the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The Scottish Government continues to p...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Any farmer listening to this would be struggling to hear what was being said. Can we have less chirping from the Conservative front bench, please?
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
To correct the minister, I say that the agricultural funding was rolled up into the block grant rather than being Barnettised. The exact same amount of money...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
The first point to make is that we currently cap. On the point about front-loading and so on, we will look at a number of options. We have given certainty ab...