Fay Jones MP has today condemned Welsh Government disinformation and claims that the UK Government Comprehensive Spending Review has cut the Welsh agricultural budget.
The Conservative Party 2019 Manifesto committed to guarantee the current annual budget to farmers in every year of this Parliament. The UK Government is delivering on this commitment through a combination of remaining EU funding which the Welsh Government is continuing to benefit from and replacement funding from the Treasury where EU funding has tapered off.
In 2019 the Welsh Government spent £337 million on agricultural support. In 2020-2021, the UK Government is spending £240 million on agricultural support for farmers in Wales and the EU are still providing WG with the remaining £97 million. Meaning that in total, agricultural support will remain at £337 million.
Commenting on the spat, Fay Jones MP said
“I want to be absolutely clear that the UK Government has delivered on our commitment to maintain the level of funding to farmers in Wales and will continue to do so for the remainder of this Parliament. Last year the Welsh Government received a total of £337 million in agricultural funding, and this year they will also receive a total of £337 million.
“The Welsh Government has threatened to remove farmer’s direct payments to pay for schemes that they have overcommitted to when they still have an estimated £1.8 billion in emergency funding they have yet to spend. This is on top of the £1.3 billion extra that the Chancellor confirmed for the Welsh Government in Wednesday’s Spending Review.
“When I worked at the NFU, we loudly criticised the Welsh Government for taking 15% of the Basic Payment directly out of farmers pockets and putting it the Rural Development Programme for Wales. This has not been spent. Welsh Labour took money from farmers with no idea what to do with it.
“Before anyone falsely accuses the UK Government of cutting Welsh agricultural support, I would suggest they ask the Welsh Government why they are taking money away from hard-working farmers when they have so much money left in their pot.
“Finally, the dog whistle politics we have seen from the former MP for Brecon and Radnorshire beggars belief. She should start by asking her colleague who she wants to replace why the Liberal Democrats allowed the Welsh Government to take money directly from farmers and then waste it.”