House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Supporting Scottish Agriculture

Wednesday 9 July 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

Scottish Government received a record settlement in the devolution era for allocating funding as they see fit.
Minister offered to report back to the House on the outcomes of the farming roundtable.
Farming stakeholders expressed a desire for the UK and Scottish Governments to work together.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Aphra Brandreth Con Chester South and Eddisbury

Scotland Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Context

Farmers in Scotland feel let down by the Government's disregard for agriculture, with Labour looking the other way as the Scottish Government delivered real-terms cuts to the agriculture budget. The Scottish Conservatives have a clear multi-year plan supported by farmers.

Question

Like farmers in my constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury, farmers in Scotland feel let down by this Government’s disregard for agriculture and the countryside. We have seen Labour look the other way as the Scottish Government have delivered real-terms cuts to the agriculture budget. The Scottish Conservatives have set out a clear, multi-year plan to give farmers the certainty they need. Will the Secretary of State urge the First Minister to back that plan, which has strong support from the farming community, and help reverse the damage done to Scottish agriculture and our food security?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Kirsty McNeill)

The Scottish Government have been given a record settlement in the devolution era, and it is for the devolved Governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit. They are accountable to their own legislatures and, indeed, the Scottish public. That is a key principle of devolution, and this Labour Government will respect it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The multi-year plan for farmers was not directly addressed; instead, the focus was on respecting devolution principles.

How: Underlying Issue Avoided

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Q2 John Cooper Con Dumfries and Galloway

Scotland Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Context

Conservatives pointed out that changes to farming reliefs would damage jobs in rural Scotland. The Scotland Office conducted a roundtable with agriculture figures.

Question

We Conservatives were vilified when we pointed out that the vindictive changes to farming reliefs were going to damage jobs in rural Scotland. The Scotland Office conducted its own roundtable with agriculture figures. Will the Minister share the results of that with the House, the Scottish Government and, crucially, whoever the Deputy Prime Minister decides will be the next Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Kirsty McNeill)

I would be delighted to report back to the House and Scotland’s rural communities, including my own in Midlothian, about the outcomes of the farming roundtable. We heard directly from stakeholders that they want support and, crucially, for the two Governments to work together, which is exactly why we had the Scottish Government around the table.