Rural Affairs Committee, 03 Dec 1999
Meeting date: Friday, December 3, 1999
Official Report 234KB pdf
Contents
- Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs Committee Friday 3 December 1999 (Morning)
- Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme
- Sea Fishing Grants (Charges) Bill 1999
- Petition (Homing Pigeons)
- Petition (Pesticide Tax)
- Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee Report
- Correspondence
- Rural Employment
Correspondence
We move to an item that has been added to the agenda at my request as a result of the direct communication that Richard Lochhead and I have had with representatives of elements of the pig industry in the past few days. We have a long-standing request from representatives of the pig industry, including Andrew Peadie of the NFU and one or two others, to meet members of the committee. We have a letter from a Mr McCartney, whom I believe Richard has met.
Yes, I met Mr McCartney and around 20 other pig farmers last Friday in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.
While I do not intend going over the details, I will meet Mr McCartney personally. I am meeting the same group tomorrow that Richard met last week. I have the impression, from the representations so far, that the farmers believe that an unprecedented crisis is in the offing in their industry, and they would like to address it in the near future. Would it be possible to arrange a time to meet them in Edinburgh between now and our next meeting?
It is imperative for the committee to recognise the urgency of the situation that faces the pig farmers. Many committee members will have raised the crisis facing the industry in Parliament on numerous occasions. Last Friday, when I toured a pig farm in Aberdeenshire and met many farmers who had come long distances to have a question and answer session with me, it became clear that they are desperate. They are looking to the committee to address the situation and we should do that as soon as possible. I therefore support the comments that the convener has just made.
Can we arrange to do that now?
We have already filled in next Thursday lunchtime, have we not? I have lodged a question on the future of the pig industry for next Thursday. I think it is number 11, so it should come up in question time.
The only possible time seems to be late morning or lunchtime on Tuesday 14 December. Would that be possible? That would come immediately before the next committee meeting, and I would like to meet the pig farmers before then.
In any case, we will confirm the time and date for members. Committee room 1 is booked already, so we will use it for both purposes.
The farmers might want to come to the chamber for question time, as there will be a question on their issue.
A question by you, by any chance?
Absolutely. We could get tickets for them.