Sir, – I would like to respond to the astonishing letter in last week’s edition from the Scottish Government’s agricultural champions who said they were disappointed that the information they gave to MSPs when they recently came before members of the Parliament’s Rural Economy Committee were made public by myself.

Anyone who briefs MSPs on their work must expect that this information comes into the public domain. To keep such information secret would go against the openness and transparency the Parliament stands for. It is disappointing to say the least that they expected that their briefing would be ‘confidential’ and not shared with the public.

Incidentally, I have never criticised the work of the Agricultural Champions but laid my criticism for the lack of action in developing a new system of support for the rural economy post Brexit fairly at the door of Fergus Ewing.

Mike Rumbles

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for North East Scotland