Julian has asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for additional short term support for dairy farmers during a visit to the constituency.
George Osborne MP visited Grassington and the Yorkshire Dales National Park on Thursday and Julian took the opportunity to raise the challenges facing the dairy industry with him.
He stressed the need for short term help for farmers from HMRC and the Treasury in terms of flexibility on tax and VAT payments and also the need for banks to play their part and show flexibility on interest rate payments on loans taken out for capital investment.
Mr Smith also raised the issues being faced during a debate in Parliament this week. Speaking in Westminster Hall on Wednesday, he said:
“I fear and suspect that were we talking about another industry such as the car industry, there would be a cross-Government task force, a committee and a cheerleader. We want that sort of focus for the dairy industry. We want somebody to take responsibility so that we know to whom we can go, across the whole gamut of Government intervention and help, to help this industry, which is in such need at the moment.”
The full debate from Westminster Hall can be found reported in Hansard here.
