Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has welcomed news that Scottish farmers are to receive an extra £160m of convergence funding from the UK Government.

The award, which was announced in the UK Spending Review today, follows a lengthy and concerted campaign from the Scottish Conservatives at Westminster to ensure that Scottish farmers received the money they were due.

The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “This is excellent news for everyone working in agriculture across the Highlands and Islands.

“A successful farming and crofting sector is fundamental to the sustainability of our local economy and our share of this £160m of extra income will go a long way to help farm businesses and crofters right across the region.

“I am delighted that the lobbying of the  Scottish Conservative team of MPs, supported by our MSP group at Holyrood, has been so successful in ensuring that these convergence funds come our way, and I was very pleased to play a small part in that effort as our party’s rural affairs spokesman over the last year or so.”