UK ‘has gone out of way’ for Scotland

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Caroline Spelman has described her department as being the most “generous” in the way it treats devolved administrations, and said she had “bent over backwards” to give Scotland a voice at the European Union table.

Ms Spelman was speaking to The Scotsman ahead of talks today between her, the European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş, and devolved ministers, including SNP rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead, on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The UK minister dismissed calls by the SNP for Scotland to be given its own place at the negotiating table arguing that it is crucial for all the UK’s governments to “speak with one voice”.

She also said that she was well aware of the concerns Scottish farmers have and had already won them concessions.

She highlighted changing payments for areas of natural constraints to include “geographical” problems as being of benefit to Scotland.

“The commissioner wants to rechristen these as areas of natural constraint,” Ms Spelman said.

“I don’t care what he calls them as long as we get fair recognition that a lot of the geography of countries like Scotland provide a lot of natural constraint.”

She added: “We know farming in uplands is difficult and we want it recognised properly.”

She also said that complaints made by Mr Lochhead that she was trying to stop direct payments to farmers were not true and a “misunderstanding”.

Ms Spelman told The Scotsman: “One of the benefits of having a really good working relationship with devolved ministers is that they are clear about the things they want me to pay attention to at the negotiating table.

“Defra has been generous with its time and its courtesies in the sense that, more than any other department, we have entered in engagement with devolved ministers. And actually I have to say Fiona Hyslop was nice enough to say so in front of other departments in a joint meeting to discuss the respect agenda.”