Gove promises inquiry into £160m European funding woes

An independent review of the long-running £160 million EU convergence funding issue was promised at talks between the Scottish Government and the UK’S Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary, Michael Gove yesterday.

Announcing the news after a meeting with his UK counterpart, rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing said that a commitment had also been given that the review’s remit, timescales, process and personnel would be agreed by the end of the year.

Stating that he was pleased to reach agreement on a way forward, Ewing said: “I welcome this much needed progress. Without it, we risk this long-standing injustice once again being kicked into the long grass in which it has lain for the past few years.”

The cabinet secretary said the review was about righting a “clear wrong” and setting a baseline for future agricultural funding with the UK.

NFU Scotland president Andrew Mccornick welcomed the news stating that the commitment to a proper, independent review of how funding was allocated would establish a fair baseline for future funding beyond Brexit.

He said that NFU Scotland had consistently asked a succession of successive Defra secretaries to recognise Scotland’s lower-than-average payment rate via a review and eventual reallocation of the funds and it now fell to Mr Gove to deliver that review. l There was, however less cheer from wider talks on the Brexit issue, with the Scottish Government claiming that Defra was trying to cut them out of the decision-making process, contrary to the devolved powers which were held on agriculture.