Mr Fraser says the announcement by the first minister of CAP relief payments proves the power of the Scottish Conservative party.

The Tory MSP says it came after his party table the motion for this debate.

Image source, Getty Images

He calls for details of the administrative cost of the relief payments.

Mr Fraser says: "We need a full independent inquiry into what has gone wrong."

He says the cabinet secretary has lost the trust of rural Scotland.

Mr Fraser criticises SNP MSP Angus Macdonald for his attack on the leadership of the NFUS.

Mr Macdonald intervenes saying he was highlighting the NFUS had felt three regions were necessary and that was a risk worth taking.

Mr Fraser relates a story where an area office could not access the IT system for CAP payments.

The Conservative MSP says every one of the challenges were known in advance before the IT system was put in place.

Image source, SPL

He says the Scottish government's default position is to blame someone else.

"The buck stops with the Scottish government."

Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser says we have no way of knowing the damage that has been done to suppliers due to this system error.

Mr Fraser says during this debate it has been as if no one is allowed a different view to the SNP and the name for that is "a one-party state". 

Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser says at lunch a semi-naked man was arrested near Holyrood and he has been assured it was not a senior civil servant who had been grilled by his departing colleague Mary Scanlon.

Mr Fraser moves on to more to highlight the £178m IT failure which is in itself a scandal. 

The impact of the failures means  a whole in the rural economy of £300m.

The cabinet secretary says the IT system cost a lot to deliver £4bn worth of payments.

Mr Lochhead says he will seek an opportunity to try and wrap up the issues raised today before the recess.

He says these are immensely difficult issues and the Scottish government had no choice but to deal with CAP reform now.

The minister accuses the Tories of blatant hypocrisy.

Mr Lochhead says the announcement of £200m of national money for farmers and crofters had nothing to do with this debate.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser asks if the cabinet secretary wants to associate himself with the "disgraceful" comments by Angus Macdonald about the NFUS leadership.

Mr Lochhead says he will talk about stakeholders later.

He says the government is getting more staff in to deal with the IT difficulties.

A grant system to help farmers across Scotland to repair man-made floodbanks opened for applications last month. 

The Scottish government scheme was announced earlier this year with £1m set aside covering nine different local authorities around the country. 

Image source, Getty Images

It said it had worked with NFU Scotland to try to deliver "targeted help with minimal red tape". 

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said repairs up to a cap of £20,000 per business could be funded. 

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead pays tribute to Mary Scanlon and Margaret McDougall.

Mr Lochhead praises the hard work of Scotland's farmers and crofters and for providing huge economic value.

The cabinet secretary says low commodity prices are affecting the dairy sectors and other sectors, as well as unbelievable flooding hitting farmers and crofters.

Ms Beamish calls for more regulation in the dairy industry to ensure more transparency.

The Labour MSP says we must start early to plan for the next CAP.

"Where is farming going for the next decade and beyond?"

She says it is essential the crofting industry is supported. 

Labour MSP Claudia Beamish says "this must never happen again."

She calls for compensation for farmers hit with interest payments.

Ms Beamish says "in the throws of the CAP chaos" the dairy sector must not be forgotten.

Mr Scott says government's are better if they are held to account by parliament and organisations outside Hoyrood, like the NFUS.

He criticises the SNP backbenchers for attacking the NFUS.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says the cabinet secretary is right that a combination of the weather and CAP reform has caused problems and that can't be disputed.

Mr Scott says the failings of the payment system is what is being questioned and Richard Lochhead has to take responsibility for that.

You may be wondering why so many members are wearing daffodils.

If so wonder no more, it marks the 30th anniversary of Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, external.  

The member's debate this evening marks the anniversary.  

SNP MSP Joan McAlpine says she agrees about the perfect storm facing farmers at the moment.

Ms McAlpine says Mr Lochhead is delivering for rural Scotland and farmers.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says it is not good enough that the cabinet secretary blames everyone else other than himself. 

SNP MSP Christian Allard says the cabinet secretary has apologised and there is a lot of honesty from the Scottish government regarding the matter.

The North East Scotland MSP says his region has suffered.

Mr Allard says the rural affairs secretary is the best person to represent farmers and he should be re-elected.

"If not Richard Lochhead, who else?", he says. 

Scottish Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone says he spent a large part of his life as a dairy farmer.

Mr Johnstone says single farm payments are at best a necessary evil.

Image source, bbc

The Tory MSP says trust is now at a very low ebb and the experience of  this winter will inform the forward planning of many farmers.

He says the "perfect storm has been one of policy failure and administrative incompetence" and the countryside is on hold.

SNP MSP Dave Thompson says the cabinet secretary and his team have been trying to resolve the situation quickly and they deserve credit for that.

The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP says a wide-range of businesses that work with the farming community have suffered financially. 

Mr Thompson says the NFUS did insist on the new scheme which has added to the complexity.

They were well warned but accepted the risk was worth taking, he says. 

SNP MSP Willie Coffey says the £200m CAP support package will come as a relief to farmers and crofters.

Mr Coffey says the new IT system came about because of EU changes and calls for changes from the industry themselves.

He says all governments are exposed to IT failures and he points to UK government issues.