Hauliers Hours Relaxation Welcomed
The announcement by the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, that working hours permitted for hauliers transporting livestock was to be relaxed, has been welcomed by MSP John Swinney.
This relaxation has come about following pressure from Rural Affairs Secretary, Richard Lochhead MSP and the Scottish Government and the MSP said: “While both Westminster and Holyrood governments have shown commendable speed in dealing with the outbreak of Foot & Mouth, Westminster has not shown a similar willingness to take prompt action to alleviate the problems that have inevitably arisen as a result of that action." |
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Crisis
He continued: "At long last, thanks to intervention by the Scottish Government, the UK Government has recognised the scale of the crisis facing Scotland's livestock sector and the need for hauliers to have this concession to allow them to get moving again and deal with the backlog of livestock needing transported.
"It is very frustrating that it has taken us weeks of negotiation to get this modest concession but we are grateful that the UK Government has finally recognised that this is not a "short-term local problem" as they originally said, but a crisis which is not of our farmers' own making."
Sheep Welfare Scheme
The MSP added: “I know that my colleague Richard Lochhead is continuing to push for the export ban to be lifted and for the UK Government to fund a sheep welfare scheme.
“This, in my opinion, is essential since there is now a great deal of stock in the fields which would otherwise have been sold and the welfare of which is still the responsibility of farmers who had hoped to have them sold by now.
“It is to be hoped that his efforts will meet with further success.”
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