This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/7060504.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Lochhead pledges £25m to farmers | Lochhead pledges £25m to farmers |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's farmers are to receive £25m in aid to compensate them for the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. | Scotland's farmers are to receive £25m in aid to compensate them for the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. |
| Agriculture Secretary Richard Lochhead said Westminster should have been paying after the outbreak in England. | Agriculture Secretary Richard Lochhead said Westminster should have been paying after the outbreak in England. |
| However, he told Holyrood he had acted to avoid a crisis developing in Scotland's sheep industry. | However, he told Holyrood he had acted to avoid a crisis developing in Scotland's sheep industry. |
| Farmers will receive £6-a-head for breeding ewes, support for a Scottish lamb marketing scheme and an emergency welfare scheme which has already begun. | Farmers will receive £6-a-head for breeding ewes, support for a Scottish lamb marketing scheme and an emergency welfare scheme which has already begun. |
| Mr Lochhead said: "No-one should underestimate the severe consequences this outbreak in the south of England has had on the entire livestock industry in Scotland. | Mr Lochhead said: "No-one should underestimate the severe consequences this outbreak in the south of England has had on the entire livestock industry in Scotland. |
| "The moral and financial responsibility for this clearly lies with the UK Government. | "The moral and financial responsibility for this clearly lies with the UK Government. |
| "However, the Scottish Government cannot and will not stand idly by and watch this vital industry go into meltdown." | "However, the Scottish Government cannot and will not stand idly by and watch this vital industry go into meltdown." |
| Facing starvation | Facing starvation |
| He said the package was targeted at sheep farmers and crofters who had suffered most. | He said the package was targeted at sheep farmers and crofters who had suffered most. |
| The biggest part of the package, £19.2m, will go on a scheme to support sheep farmers, equivalent to a payment of £6 per breeding ewe. | The biggest part of the package, £19.2m, will go on a scheme to support sheep farmers, equivalent to a payment of £6 per breeding ewe. |
| Restrictions on the movement and sale of livestock were put in place in August following the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey. | Restrictions on the movement and sale of livestock were put in place in August following the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease in Surrey. |
| Earlier this month, the Scottish Government introduced a welfare scheme after it emerged that a quarter of a million so-called "light lambs" were facing starvation on Scotland's hills because of a lack of grazing. | Earlier this month, the Scottish Government introduced a welfare scheme after it emerged that a quarter of a million so-called "light lambs" were facing starvation on Scotland's hills because of a lack of grazing. |
| The animals had become stranded after movement restrictions were introduced following the foot-and-mouth crisis. | The animals had become stranded after movement restrictions were introduced following the foot-and-mouth crisis. |
| A ministerial row erupted between Westminster and Holyrood when First Minister Alex Salmond accused Environment Secretary Hilary Benn of dropping an £8.1m funding package for Scots farmers. | |
| Mr Salmond said this was due to the decision not to hold an autumn General Election - a claim denied by Mr Benn. |