Rural broadband and concerns for RET scheme and pricing for weighted vehicles on ferries raised

A range of issues were discussed when farmers from across Argyll and Bute met with politicians on Friday, August 15 in Tarbert’s Templars Hall.

NFU Scotland’s Regional Board for Argyll and the Islands, chaired by John Semple, welcomed Alan Reid MP and MSPs for the Highlands and Islands Jamie McGrigor, Mike Mackenzie and Jean Urquhart.

Mr McGrigor is the convenor of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament for crofting, whilst Ms Urquhart is deputy convenor and Mr Mackenzie is a member of the group.

Issues brought up by farmers from the likes of Kintyre, Oban and Lorn, Cowal, Mull and Bute included rural mobile phone signal and broadband, Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme on ferries, including pricing of weighted vehicles. Questions were also asked about the Grocery Code Adjudicator, with specific concerns about the amount of New Zealand lamb that has been on sale in supermarkets across the region.

Chairman of the Regional Board, John Semple commented: “This was a very useful meeting for us all and gave our Regional Board members a platform to bring up issues affecting their area of Argyll and Bute. Many points were put to the politicians and we anticipate that they will take these forward.

“We hope to have a follow up with regular meetings with those politicians who attended as well as others who couldn’t make it on the day. We felt we were listened to and that the four politicians were genuinely interested in hearing about our issues.”

Notes to editors:

• For a photograph from the meeting of the politicians and members of the Regional Board please contact: media@nfus.org.uk or 0131 472 4108.

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Contact Ruth McClean on 0131 472 4108