Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell is leading a debate on behalf of the Scottish government on the place principle.

Here is the motion.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

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SNP MSP Bruce Crawford begins: "Does the minister agree with me that it is shameful Michael Gove, the UK environment secretary, has shafted Scottish hill farmers on the matter of convergency money?"

"Well I couldn't agree more with that" replies the minister.

She says it was wrong of the UK government to "shaft us" in terms of convergence money.

The deputy presiding officer says to both members she is not terribly happy with "that word".

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles asks if sheep farming interests will be represented on the advisory group developing the future support system post-Brexit.

"Yes," replies the minister.

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Green MSP John Finnie says: "Minister, you say Brexit threatens to remove sheep from our hills and people from our land."

What steps are the government taking to sustain and increase populations in rural areas, he asks.

The minister replies the government has been discussing exactly that in the light of Brexit and the changes in immigration that will do untold damage to Scotland.

Ms Gougeon says: "We need people working and living in rural areas."

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says farmers and crofters need stability and simplicity to plan ahead.

She asks when will the new group of rural advisers come forward with the blueprint for a new scheme of support.

Ms Grant also asks when LFASS will be paid at 100%.

The minister says the government is working on LFASS payments to find a solution.

She insists the policy has been set out for the next five years and further work is progressing.

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Ms Gougeon replies: "Of course farmers are seen as part of the solution and they are custodians of the land."

The minister adds: "It is vitally important that we work with them."

She points out she takes umbrage to the comments about cutting LFASS (Less Favoured Area Support Scheme) payments given they have been gotten rid of in the rest of the UK.

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Tory MSP Donald Cameron says the claim the UK government saw the sheep farming industry as expendable must count as one of the "wilder claims" from the Scottish government.

Mr Cameron says given its CAP payments fiasco and the cuts to LFASS it is "rank hypocrisy" to accuse others of failing to support the sheep farming industry.

He adds many sheep farmers will have read with anxiety the Committee on Climate Change's call for less meat consumption.

The Tory MSP asks what reassurances can the minister give to them they will not be expendable.

Ms Gougeon says trees planted in the right place can improve productivity and maintain flock sizes.

The minister confirms farmers and crofters have received £70m in forestry grants to integrate new woodland into their land.

A further tranche of LFASS payments will be made next week, she adds.

"This government remains absolutely committed to getting financial help to those who need that help the most."

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Ms Gougeon says the sheep farming sector in Scotland was seen as expendable by the UK government.

The minister warns a no-deal Brexit would make the sheep farming sector unviable.

She announces: "This government today will provide Quality Meat Scotland with an additional £200,000. "

This will support marketing in the coming year and help it to promote Scotch lamb to people here at home, she adds.

Ms Gougeon says the Scottish government has persuaded the UK government to repatriate the meat levy.

"I want to send a clear message to Michael Gove: get on with it."

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BBC Scotland reported in October that yhe UK government was to set up an independent review into how farm funding should be distributed around the United Kingdom after Brexit.

An independent advisory panel will look at subsidies going to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure they are "fairly split".

NFU Scotland has said it was "bitterly disappointing" that it would not address previous funding decisions.

The Scottish government said farmers should receive the £160m they are due.

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Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon says many farms and crofts rear sheep on land that is not suitable for other purposes.

All sectors will have a role to play in addressing the climate emergency and sheep farming is no exception, she says.

New tools and production methods must be established to do this, the minister says.

New rules from the European Commission would be particularly difficult for Scottish sheep farmers to apply so we have been engaging with the EU on this, she says.

Ms Gougeon urges sheep farmers and crofters to respond to the European Commission consultation which is now live.

Image source, Getty Images

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing is about to make a statement on support for sheep farming.

The Scottish Green Party says it will not negotiate with the Scottish government over the next budget unless it has climate change and a Green New Deal at its heart.

A Green New Deal means a large scale re-imagining of how economies should work to deal with the root causes of climate change.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell made the pledge as the Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham outlined the government's response to the climate emergency declared by Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Cunningham said climate change would be at the core of the next programme for government and spending review.

The minority SNP government has relied on the Greens to pass its budgets in recent years.