NFU defends payouts

Hundreds of farms had animals slaughtered

Figures revealing that individual farmers have received millions in foot-and-mouth payouts were leaked deliberately, say Scotland's NFU.

A row over compensation levels blew up on Sunday when the UK Government confirmed that it had received individual claims of more than £1m from 37 farmers.

Attention focused in particular on Dumfriesshire farmer Jim Goldie who was said to have received a £4.2m handout.

Tests for the disease were carried out throughout the UK

His pedigree herd of Charolais and Limousin cattle were destroyed in March when the disease was discovered on his South Bowerhouses farm.

On Monday farmers' leaders in Scotland fired a broadside at the politicians.

It was delivered by the president of the National Farmers' Union in Scotland, Jim Walker, who accused the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of deliberately leaking the figures.

He said the government's spin machine was working overtime in a "concerted attempt" to turn the public against the farming community.

Mr Walker believed a campaign was under way to try and deflect attention from what he described as the "mess the government had made of handling the outbreak".

This attempt by the government to spin a story about multi million pound payouts is a blatant way to turn the public attention away from the mess they have made of foot and mouth

Jim Walker, NFU

He said: "These were spurious figures quoted in the press. Government officials, as well as independent valuers were present at every valuation and it followed a set standard."

Of Mr Goldie, the NFU Scotland leader said: "That man is absolutely at the pinnacle of the beef breeding world, he is renowned not only in Scotland but across the whole world.

"These are irreplaceable blood lines which cannot be bought."

He added: "This attempt by the government to spin a story about multi-million-pound payouts is a blatant way to turn the public attention away from the mess they have made of foot and mouth."

Jim Walker: Criticised government spin

But Jimmy Hood, MP for Clydesdale, said he had no sympathy with Mr Walker.

He added: "The NFU was very much involved in what was happening, particularly with the aspect of culling. The government was helped by scientific advice and the NFU."

Mr Hood is now lobbying, along with other politicians, for a full public inquiry.

The way the government has dealt with the disease has come in for general criticism.

At the weekend it was revealed, in research for the BBC, that vaccinating animals against the disease would have been at least £3bn cheaper than slaughtering them.