Farming Minister promises full Hill Farm Allowance consultation

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 12th Jun 2007

Tim Farron MP has received assurances that the farming industry will be fully consulted on a replacement to the Hill Farm Allowance scheme.

Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming has today received assurances from Lord Rooker, the Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food that the farming industry will be fully consulted on a replacement to the Hill Farm Allowance scheme.

Mr Farron wrote to Lord Rooker last month requesting clarification on this issue so as to avoid the catastrophic failures that have occurred in the past and seriously inconvenienced farmers up and down the country.

In his letter to Mr Farron, Lord Rooker said:

"I agree completely that we cannot develop an uplands scheme without the full involvement of the farming industry.

"My intention remains to involve them in scheme development from an early stage, working alongside DEFRA and Natural England."

In response, Tim Farron said:

"I am pleased to hear that Lord Rooker has committed to full consultation with the industry on this issue. Farmers in my area and all around the country have suffered because of government incompetence recently, you only need to look at the debacle at the Rural Payments Agency for evidence of this.

"Hopefully the replacement to the Hill Farm Allowance, due in 2010 will be fit for purpose."