SKIPTON MP Julian Smith has called on Chancellor George Osborne to provide additional short-term support to dairy farmers.

Mr Smith (pictured) said farmers needed help from HMRC and the Treasury with flexibility on tax and VAT payments and he added that banks should be flexible with interest rate payments on loans given for capital investment.

He has also raised the issue in Parliament. “I fear and suspect that were we talking about another industry – such as the car industry – there would be a cross-Government task force.”