Crofting MP invites Hilart Benn to meet farmers in Scotland

Angus MacNeil, the SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, has invited the Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn to meet hill farmers of Scotland and to speak first hand with a crofter who sent his lambs to market yesterday following restrictions being lifted on Wednesday.

Mr MacNeil said:

"The UK Government has a responsibility to help farmers through this crisis, and I'm in touch with rural farmers and crofters to get first hand experiences of the impact of foot and mouth in Scotland - Hilary Benn is not. This morning I had to put down one of my own lambs who was a victim of this forced overcrowding on hills.

"If Hilary Benn thinks there is a welfare problem in Scotland, he should come and see for himself first hand what it's really like.

"I welcome the hard work of Scottish Government in getting back to a normal movement regime, which has been welcomed by farmers and all those involved our livestock industry who have been through a very anxious and difficult two months.

"The Scottish Government has worked flat out to press for relaxations in drivers hours and to lift the export ban as well as lifting movement restrictions as soon as it was judged safe to do so.

"Farming communities and the livestock industry is critically important to Scotland and Hilary Benn should come and see for himself what is happening here."