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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Key farm income decision unveiled | Key farm income decision unveiled |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Scotland's farmers are to lose some of their subsidies following a government decision - but not by as much as they had first feared. | Scotland's farmers are to lose some of their subsidies following a government decision - but not by as much as they had first feared. |
| Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead set the rate at which cash will be diverted to a general fund at 5%, rising to 9% by 2010. | Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead set the rate at which cash will be diverted to a general fund at 5%, rising to 9% by 2010. |
| Some farmers feared the rate announced in parliament may have been up to 20%. | Some farmers feared the rate announced in parliament may have been up to 20%. |
| However, Labour and the Lib Dems criticised the government for not allowing MSPs to vote on the plan. | |
| Mr Lochhead also announced an extra £70m for the farm support programme over the next seven years. | |
| He set out a further £10m initiative to attract new blood into the farming industry. | He set out a further £10m initiative to attract new blood into the farming industry. |
| The SNP has the cheek to call itself consensual, by giving us this detailed document this morning and bringing it to parliament Rhona BrankinLabour rural affairs spokeswoman | |
| Under EU agricultural reforms, aid is paid in the form of a single payment to each farm, amounting to a total of £400m a year, rather than the previous array of subsidies. | Under EU agricultural reforms, aid is paid in the form of a single payment to each farm, amounting to a total of £400m a year, rather than the previous array of subsidies. |
| Farmers had called for the rate to be kept to the minimum of 5%, claiming some farms may go out of business otherwise, but supporters argue that the rural economy needs funds for forestry, environmental and community projects. | |
| Mr Lochhead said: "What we now have is the largest investment programme in history for rural Scotland which will benefit everyone. | Mr Lochhead said: "What we now have is the largest investment programme in history for rural Scotland which will benefit everyone. |
| "This will ensure the programme will increase competitiveness in agriculture and forestry, enhance the environment and support rural communities." | "This will ensure the programme will increase competitiveness in agriculture and forestry, enhance the environment and support rural communities." |
| Labour MSP Rhona Brankin, a former environment minister, voiced anger that MSPs would not have the opportunity to vote on the measures in parliament. | |
| "The SNP has the cheek to call itself consensual, by giving us this detailed document this morning and bringing it to parliament," she said. | |
| "If we had done the same to the SNP and other opposition parties, you would have hung us from the rooftops. It's absolute arrant hypocrisy." | |
| Subject debate | |
| Tory rural affairs spokesman John Scott acknowledged the need for a thriving countryside. | |
| However, he added: "A thriving countryside will only be achieved if farmers and farm managers are able to farm and make a living at the same time as delivering environmental enhancement. | |
| "If it comes to a choice between putting food on the table for the family or creating a water margin then we all know what that choice must be. And that is the reality that farmers are contemplating today. | |
| Lib Dem rural affairs spokesman Mike Rumbles claimed it was clear that Mr Lochhead had not met the objectives of very many environmental organisations with the announcement. | |
| He also accused the secretary of being "feart" by holding a subject debate and not giving MSPs the chance to vote on the plans. | |
| "He has ignored the advice given by many in the industry to leave the rate alone, and I am disappointed he so obviously failed to persuade his cabinet colleagues to come up with the necessary funding to meet our environmental objectives," said Mr Rumbles. |