Hopes raised for Welsh farming FMD aid package

BACKING for Welsh farming's case for a foot-and-mouth compensation recovery package has come in independent reports from two cross-party Welsh Assembly committees – lifting hopes that financial aid on a par with Scotland may yet be forthcoming.

Both reports accept that farmers have been hard hit by the disease movement restrictions and point to the UK Government having a responsibility to make good industry losses – estimated to be in the region of £40 million.

There is a recommendation, too, that should funding be slow in coming from the Westminster Government, the Assembly should provide an interim support package and then take up the case for recompense with the Treasury.

Comparison is made to the fact that while a similar payment of the £6 per ewe being made in Scotland would equate to £27m in Wales, the Assembly had so far only pledged £6.75m in the form of its light lamb disposal scheme, of which only around £3.75m had actually been spent.

One of the reports, from the Assembly's finance committee, recommends that 'significant additional funding from reserves' should be offered.

While welcoming Assembly Government efforts to support the industry and noting that the outbreak had arisen because of failings entirely outside of Wales, regardless of issues of blame, it maintains there is a role for the Assembly to help.

It concludes: "The finance committee feels the Assembly Government should properly and fairly assess the needs of the farming industry to overcome the impact of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and provide such help as necessary and appropriate."

The second report, from the rural development sub-committee, makes seven recommendations – the key one being that the Assembly should continue to seek compensation payments from the UK Government.