Red tape delays farm aid payments

Most of the aid has been assigned to the Scottish Ewes Scheme

Scottish sheep farmers have been warned that a delay in Brussels has held up £19m in aid payments following the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said an administrative problem has slowed the payment of aid via the Scottish Ewes Scheme.

He voiced disappointment at the delay but said the money should be received by the end of November.

The aid payments amount to £6 per head of livestock.

Last month, Mr Lochhead announced a £25m aid package to compensate farmers for the effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in England. At £19m, the Scottish Ewes Scheme formed the largest part of that.

The minister said the payments could not go ahead until the EC had officially published details of the scheme.

The timescale is very much in the hands of the European Commission but we are now confident that we are over the hurdles Richard Lochhead, Rural Affairs Secretary

However, the EC wrote earlier this week seeking further details of the scheme and the Scottish Government said these were provided on Thursday evening via UK Government officials.

Mr Lochhead said: "Due to a delay in Brussels, we anticipate that the emergency payments will now be with sheep farmers by the end of this month.

"The timescale is very much in the hands of the European Commission but we are now confident that we are over the hurdles and will soon be in a position to deliver these vital payments."

The minister said the original aim had been to provide payments by mid-November but the EC had insisted on further details to meet the rules on state aid.

He said: "I am disappointed that there has been a hold-up at the commission.

"Our sheep farmers have been very badly hit by a crisis not of their making - because of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth in the south of England.

Mr Lochhead says he is determined to see payments made

"We acted quickly and followed all the correct procedures to secure the essential consent from Brussels.

"But the Scottish Government is determined to see these payments correctly made as quickly as possible which we hope, if the commission is now satisfied, will be by the end of November."

Jim McLaren, President of the National Farmers' Union Scotland, said payments of £6 per ewe would not fully compensate farmers but were "an extremely important and a welcome move by the Scottish Government".

He said: "I understand that state aid hurdles have to be cleared and the commission has to satisfy itself before it gives the green light.

"But I would ask Brussels' officials to recognise the disastrous consequences of foot-and-mouth disease over the last three months and move as quickly as possible to help get the sheep industry back on its feet."