HIGHLANDS and ISLANDS TO BENEFIT FROM MASSIVE BUT VERY WELCOME U TURN ON CROFTING BULL HIRE SCHEME

Highlands and Islands Labour MSPs, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant and David Stewart who have been campaigning to overturn the SNP Government's decision to end the crofters bull hire scheme have welcomed what they described as a "massive but very welcome U turn in the face of a crofters concerns ".

The MSPs, who organised a petition on the issue and which got over 400 crofter's signatures and who engineered a defeat of the Government in a Parliamentary vote on the issue, said they were delighted with the progress now made.

The MSPs revealed that following  two debates in Parliament they had initiated a letter and secured the signatures of the opposition parties to offer to enter constructive discussions with the Minister to find a way forward. That meeting took place last week and when the Minister offered to step back and effectively continue the scheme for another year while work was done to secure a continuing scheme which met crofters needs and aspirations.

Rhoda Grant, Labour's Rural Affairs Spokesperson said:

"It was perfectly evident that the Government just got this hopelessly wrong. I don't want to dwell on their U turn, I want to welcome it. We will continue to argue that the continuing scheme needs to meet the needs of crofters and provide for continuing hire of bulls, collective purchasing and distribution arrangements, over wintering and health facilities. Nothing less will do, but how exactly that is organised is a matter for further work with stakeholders."

She urged Highlands and Islands crofters to use the scheme. She added:

"The Scottish government were able to use the declining use of the scheme over recent years as a reason for proposing its demise. They were mistaken to do that and they need to market the scheme more vigorously and effectively, and crofters need to use it if it is to remain into the long term. The health benefits of the scheme cannot be overstated, crofters can obtain better markets and prices for their cattle if they use the health guaranteed scheme. I hope crofters in Highlands and islands will look to do so.

Having urged crofters to stand shoulder to shoulder on the issue, she concluded by thanking crofters for backing the campaign to keep the scheme going. She said:

"The strong demonstration of concern from the crofting community allowed us to mount the arguments with confidence, and it allowed the government to see just what opposition they have managed to create. Crofters standing together are powerful and the other battles we need to have about the future of crofting will benefit from that continuing solidarity on the key issues."

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