A north-east MSP has appealed to the Rural Economy Secretary
after it emerged a phone line to help farmers navigate government
payments has been down for almost a month.
has said that calls are
being diverted from the Rural Payment and Inspection Division
(RPID) office telephone line at Thainstone, Inverurie, to
Elgin.
This has led to delays while calls are then transferred back to
Inverurie or problems for farmers getting through at all as the
lines are too busy.
Mr Chapman was contacted by a constituent in Aberdeenshire who
has expressed his frustration at the problem.
It is understood that the fault relates to a fallen phone line
near Thainstone.
The rural payment offices provide information to farmers about
application forms that need to be filled in for grants and
payments to meet strict deadlines.
, Scottish Conservative MSP
for the north-east region, said:
“I was contacted by a farmer constituent of mine who has raised
concerns about this problem, which has been going on for nearly a
month.
“This is causing problems both for local farmers and for the
Elgin office, which I gather is being inundated with calls.
“Farmers are being kept waiting for long periods of time to be
connected, while staff in Elgin do not know if those in Inverurie
are present to deal with the call.
“It is important that people can reach their local office as
quickly as possible, as very often application forms are subject
to strict deadlines.
“I have written to the Rural Economy Secretary seeking some
information on when this issue will be resolved and also some
assurance that the Scottish Government is making sure the
Thainstone office can accept local calls.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
See attached for a copy of the letter sent by MSP to
