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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Lochhead pledges £25m to farmers | Lochhead pledges £25m to farmers |
| (about 18 hours 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." |
| 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. |
| Farmers, crofters and associated businesses have been briefing ministers for months, not weeks, on the financial problems they have been having Labour's rural affairs spokeswoman Sarah Boyack | |
| Jim McLaren, president of the National Farmers' Union Scotland, said he was disappointed that the pigs and diary industries had not been included in the package. | |
| He said: "Today's rescue package is just that. | |
| "It is not compensation for losses, which go far higher than the money announced today. | |
| "For a farmer with a 1,000 breeding sheep, he will be facing losses in excess of £20,000. This aid package would put £6,000 into that business." | |
| 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. |
| Labour's rural affairs spokeswoman Sarah Boyack welcomed the move announced by Mr Lochhead but accused him of taking too long to deal with the crisis. | Labour's rural affairs spokeswoman Sarah Boyack welcomed the move announced by Mr Lochhead but accused him of taking too long to deal with the crisis. |
| He said: "I regret the time it took for the Scottish Government to act. Why was the cabinet secretary prepared to leave farmers and crofters swinging in the wind as the SNP issued their customary 'It's London's fault and we wuz robbed' speech? | He said: "I regret the time it took for the Scottish Government to act. Why was the cabinet secretary prepared to leave farmers and crofters swinging in the wind as the SNP issued their customary 'It's London's fault and we wuz robbed' speech? |
| "Farmers, crofters and associated businesses have been briefing ministers for months, not weeks, on the financial problems they have been having. | "Farmers, crofters and associated businesses have been briefing ministers for months, not weeks, on the financial problems they have been having. |
| "But it's only today - when we happen to be having an agriculture debate - that we have a package brought forward." | "But it's only today - when we happen to be having an agriculture debate - that we have a package brought forward." |
| John Scott MSP, the Scottish Tories rural affairs spokesman, said that the compensation package would not be enough for many businesses. | John Scott MSP, the Scottish Tories rural affairs spokesman, said that the compensation package would not be enough for many businesses. |
| 'Beyond belief' | 'Beyond belief' |
| He said: "With a likely underspend in the present welfare disposal scheme of £3m this is hardly a generous offer compared with the actual losses being faced by the sheep industry as a whole, through no fault of their own." | He said: "With a likely underspend in the present welfare disposal scheme of £3m this is hardly a generous offer compared with the actual losses being faced by the sheep industry as a whole, through no fault of their own." |
| Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Jim Hume said it was "beyond belief" that Holyrood and Westminster did not agree on who should pay compensation. | Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Jim Hume said it was "beyond belief" that Holyrood and Westminster did not agree on who should pay compensation. |
| He added: "The bottom line is that Scotland's farmers need help now and the SNP must put aside its petty squabbling with Westminster and get on with the job." | He added: "The bottom line is that Scotland's farmers need help now and the SNP must put aside its petty squabbling with Westminster and get on with the job." |
| 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. | 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. | Mr Salmond said this was due to the decision not to hold an autumn General Election - a claim denied by Mr Benn. |