Nicola Sturgeon in apology to farmers over payments delay

The First Minister has apologised to farmers over delays caused by the troubled IT system set up to deliver European Union subsidy payments.

Nicola Sturgeon insisted there is “no complacency” on the part of the Scottish Government and there is “100% focus” from ministers to ensure 2016 Common Agricultural Policy payments are made on time.

Ms Sturgeon faced farmers at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston, Edinburgh, after it emerged the Government had asked the European Commission for an extension to the June 30 deadline for processing the subsidies.

Ministers were forced to seek an extension last year after problems with its beleaguered £178 million IT system caused delays.

Addressing an audience of industry representatives, Ms Sturgeon said: “We have made a clear commitment to do all we can to make the 2016 pillar one payments by the end of next week, the set payment period, although we have discussed the contingency of an extension to that with the European Commission.

“At present we've made more than £249 million of these payments and of course farmers have been given access to loans pending the delivery of their actual payments.

“We are making significant progress now on payments and on resolving the remaining IT issues in the system.

“I want to assure you today... there's no complacency on the Scottish Government's part about this matter.

We have already apologised and we do so again today to farmers for the failures that have been experienced in the system and I guarantee that we will continue to give this matter our full focus and attention to ensure that farmers get the service that they deserve.''

At First Minister's Questions at Holyrood on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon refused to confirm whether the Government had asked for another extension, amid claims a third of applications have not yet been dealt with.

The Scottish Conservatives accused Ms Sturgeon of treating the Scottish Parliament with “utter contempt” and said Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing must consider his position.

Tory MSP Finlay Carson said: “Nicola Sturgeon and Fergus Ewing have some very serious questions to answer.

“By failing to make their position clear when they had the chance, the First Minister and the Rural Affairs Secretary treated Parliament with utter contempt and they should apologise immediately.

“And by failing to be clear with farming leaders, it's clear that Fergus Ewing has lost the confidence of many people in rural Scotland - and he should be considering his position.

“This episode has been a disgrace and has exposed the SNP for what it is: secretive, out of touch and all at sea. Scotland deserves better.”

Responding to criticism, Ms Sturgeon said: “I said in Parliament that we had discussed contingencies with the European Commission, that's what we have done but we are also, and this is what I was stressing in Parliament yesterday, we are focusing on making the payments by the deadline and the deadline is a week away and there will be 100% focus on making as many of these payments by the deadline as we possibly can.