Legislation has to have a purpose and deliver real benefits or it simply wastes time and money.

That was the forceful view of Jim Paice, Tory spokesman for agriculture at Westminster, when he spoke to the farming press on a fact-finding tour of Scotland.

Speaking at Jimmy Sinclair's Crookston Farm, Heriot, in the Scottish Borders, where he had come as a guest of the National Sheep Association to learn first hand the impracticality of proposed double-tagging and electronic identification of sheep, he said: "I can't see the point of double-tagging. It doesn't produce any benefits for animal health or food safety.

"Such legislation is an on-cost for our producers.

We learned that from the pig industry with legislation on stalls and tethers that gave an advantage to our competitors."

Referring to the threat of imported New Zealand lamb, he added: "We must make sure that we don't legislate faster than our competitors."

Speaking ahead of Tory leader David Cameron, who is expected to unveil a package of proposals next week to reduce red tape in farming, he went on to say that he was extremely sympathetic to ending the current ban on burying dead animals on farms.

"I can't see the point of continuing the ban if the geology is suitable for burial. The present system of hauling dead animals about is a huge expense."

Those comments are seen as increasingly relevant in the light of the eradication of BSE and the now disproved theory that scrapie in sheep may have been linked to the disease.

"I can't see why we have to continue splitting sheep carcasses either," he added.

Further bluetongue restrictions welcomed The European Union has introduced tougher restrictions on the movement of pregnant livestock from bluetongue zones to reduce the risk of offspring spreading the virus to disease-free areas.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead said: "Bluetongue virus presents an ever-increasing threat to Scotland's livestock industry and we must do all we can to keep Scotland free from disease and the associated restrictions for as long as possible.

"The heightened restrictions on the movement of pregnant animals from bluetongue-restricted zones, combined with the Scottish system of post-movement checks, will help protect us from this disease. However, I must also remind producers of their individual responsibility in tackling this disease and of the importance, wherever possible, of avoiding sourcing stock from high-risk areas."