Pack leads fresh drive to cut red tape for hard-pressed farmers

The Scottish Government yesterday launched a drive aimed at cutting needless bureaucracy for Scottish farmers with the setting up of a working group under the chairmanship of Brian Pack, former chief executive of the ANM group.

Rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said the move was made as part of a government commitment to look at how best to help farmers free up time for farming by reducing on-farm inspections and bureaucracy.

“It’s crucially important that our farmers are free to do what they do best – producing food for the nation and managing our magnificent landscape – without getting bogged down in reams of paperwork,” he said.

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He claimed that there had already been progress made on reducing bureaucracy for farmers. “The SEARS initiative has delivered a reduction of over 8,000 visits and inspections to date – and I’m keen to build on that.

“Farmers and the wider rural community often tell me there is still some way to go.”

He did, however, caution there would not be a wholesale throwing away of regulations, commenting: “This does need to be balanced against the importance of monitoring to ensure public money is being well spent and this will be particularly important in light of the current CAP reform negotiations.”

The working group, which will include representatives from the farming industry, local and central government and non-departmental public bodies will start work after Pack has carried out a scoping exercise.

Pack, a farm manager in Aberdeenshire before his stint leading ANM, said the wish to reduce the red tape surrounding farming was common to all sectors of the industry and government.

He also emphasised the balance that was needed in any bonfire of regulatory paperwork but said he was optimistic that a difference could be made.

Lochhead said he expected the group to provide an interim report with initial recommendations within six months of being established, with a final report and recommendations to be produced around this time next year.

The move was welcomed by NFU Scotland with chief executive Scott Walker saying a reduction in the bureaucratic burden on Scotland’s farmers had been a long held policy priority of the union.

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“Previous examinations of regulations have promised much by way of review but are perceived to have delivered very little by way of change to the plethora of rules and legislation that farmers face,” he said.

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