A fresh call has been made for a Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s bungled handout of EU subsidies to farmers.
Hundreds of Scots farmers are still waiting for their full CAP payment, with the slow roll-out having a major knock-on effect to rural communities.
More than £170m has been spent on the IT system designed to try and deliver the payments, but it has been beset with “multiple failures”.
Calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the “shocking situation”, Peter Chapman, a Tory North East MSP, said more than 1,000 farmers are still waiting for their full payment.
Speaking after the debate, the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ Mike Rumbles added: “I hope that in the coming weeks the First Minister will hold her hands up, apologise to our farmers and their families, and give a cast iron guarantee this bungle will not happen again.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said a total of £357m had been paid to date.
She added: “There remains a relatively small number of CAP claims which are taking longer to progress because they are complicated and eligibility is still being confirmed.”
‘Shocking’ EU subsidies debacle demands Holyrood inquiry, says MSP
