Andrew RT Davies has said Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay have failed to provide sufficient mental health support for farmers.
One aspect of Labour’s mental health support for farmers is the £45,000 ministers invested in Farmwell Wales, an information hub on personal and business resilience for farmers and their families.
Farmwell’s website and Twitter accounts have not been updated since October 2021, meaning that resource for farmers has been dormant for 5 months, despite receiving taxpayer funding.
Commenting, Andrew RT Davies MS said:
“I have no doubt at all that Labour ministers want to do the best they can to provide farmers with mental health support, and this is a community that we know can experience acute mental health struggles.
“But throwing money at something does not improve farmers’ lives. We need to see real support, so I am concerned that Farmwell, which has received £45,000 from ministers in Cardiff Bay, has not provided an update in 5 months.
“It’s fundamentally important that taxpayers know that money is being spent properly. Investing in resources for mental health in the farming community is very important, but we need to see that resource delivering value for farmers and for taxpayers in general by making regular updates.
“Labour ministers cannot continue to take their eye off the ball on the issue of mental health in agricultural communities.”