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Mick Bates

Press Releases 2007

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Mick Bates today welcomed efforts by farmer’s unions to find ways of replacing cuts in a vital support scheme for Welsh hill farmers, caused by Labour and Plaid Cymru.

Mick, Welsh Liberal Democrat Environment, Planning and Countryside spokesperson, said: “I applaud the unions for their attempts to make up the shortfall created by the budget cuts, but it can’t replace the £12million in this year’s budget.

“Worse still, these attempts to find money elsewhere in the budget are not binding on any government after May. This is no way to sustain a successful scheme – the budget is still insecure.

“Plaid Cymru’s promise to find more money in the budget is misleading to farmers because it raises expectations that they won’t be able to meet. Their dodgy deal to pass Labour’s budget cuts sold farmers short.

“These cuts will affect other great agri-environmental schemes in Wales, such as Tir Cynnal and Tir Gofal, as well as the livelihoods of many Welsh farmers.”

Tir Mynydd is the agri-environmental support scheme for farmers in Wales.