Public meetings on future funding for agriculture:
Inquiry sets out ideas for consultation

An inquiry set up to consider how agriculture should be funded in the future is to hold public meetings in Benbecula (March 15) and Stornoway (March 16) next week.

The Pack Inquiry, set up last year, wants to hear people’s views as part of a consultation on its interim report.

The report suggests that future agricultural support should consist of four strands – direct payments, a top-up fund, rural development programme funding and Less Favoured Area (LFA) support.

The meetings will take place at the Dark Island Hotel (Benbecula) and the Caberfeidh Hotel (Stornoway) at 7.30pm.

Inquiry chairman Brian Pack said: ‘This interim report is very much an Aunt Sally for stakeholders to comment on and bring forth fresh evidence to help shape the final report.

‘To inform the final report – scheduled for June 2010 – we are holding public consultations and gathering additional evidence on the various issues flagged up.”

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: ‘The volume of evidence presented to the Inquiry team so far is testament to how much importance the agricultural sector attaches to the Inquiry. I am sure that level of interest will not only continue but grow and I’d urge everyone with an interest in the future of farming to have their say during the detailed consultation phase.’