§ 24. Mr. Roger WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding extra funds for the National Assembly for Wales to assist those farmers in Wales suffering losses resulting from animal movement restrictions and poor trading conditions. [R] [12491]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a number of issues.
I welcome the re-establishment of Welsh lamb and beef in domestic markets, and the recent announcement that the export of sheep and goat meat can resume from parts of Wales. The Government have extended the Livestock Welfare Disposal Scheme in order to pre-empt problems arising this winter for lambs that would, under normal trading conditions, be sold and moved off farms.
I understand that the Assembly is making strenuous efforts to deal with both long-term issues in Welsh agriculture and the current difficulties affecting the market and farmers' incomes this autumn. Both the Assembly and 765W the Welsh Development Agency stand ready to assist the livestock industry with marketing and processing grants for viable projects.