Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme

Question Time — Scottish Executive – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:30 pm on 19 June 2003.

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Photo of Rob Gibson Rob Gibson Scottish National Party 2:30, 19 June 2003

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish details of payments made to farmers and crofters under the less favoured areas support scheme for 2003. (S2O-204)

Photo of Allan Wilson Allan Wilson Labour

The member may not realise that, due to legal restrictions, I cannot name individual producers who receive subsidy payments. Details of individual payments to farmers and crofters are subject to restrictions on the release of data under European Commission legislation and the Data Protection Act 1998.

Photo of Rob Gibson Rob Gibson Scottish National Party

Does the minister realise that crofters and small farmers throughout the Highlands and Islands suspect that the largest payments have gone to farmers with large businesses? They suspect that the 5 per cent of farmers with the largest farms get a third of the subsidies that are paid and that half of the farmers and crofters in Scotland get only 5 per cent of the support payments. The failed Labour candidate in Argyll and Bute elicited that information during the election, when he asked the Liberal minister to explain why he did not use the means that were made by the European Union to put a clause in the payment regulations so that that information could be made public. If the minister is not prepared to make that information public now, is he prepared to do so at any future date?

Photo of Allan Wilson Allan Wilson Labour

The nationalists certainly know about failed candidates.

The member asked many questions. My department estimates that total expenditure for the scheme will be about £63 million and that 13,000 claimants will be involved. It is not correct to say that the scheme benefits large landowners, as it incorporates conditions such as minimum stock densities precisely to prevent large landowners from benefiting. As part of the agenda 2002 common agricultural policy reform, a change was made from acreage to headage.

In conjunction with other stakeholders, including the Scottish Crofting Foundation, we will consider improvements to the scheme in due course and make an announcement accordingly.

Photo of Alasdair Morrison Alasdair Morrison Labour

At the end of March, along with crofting representatives from the Western Isles, I met Ross Finnie to discuss their concerns about the LFASS. At that time, Mr Finnie said that Executive officials were to engage in discussion with crofting officials from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Is that work in progress and can we expect a more equitable distribution formula for the next year and the following years?

Photo of Allan Wilson Allan Wilson Labour

Yes. As I confirmed in my answer to the previous question, that work is indeed in progress. Although the introduction of the minimum payment has been beneficial, it probably needs to be re-examined. As my colleague said, meetings have been arranged. Next week, there will be a meeting between my officials and stakeholders to discuss improvements to the scheme.