, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Well, you might not be able to, but by all means try. Before we leave you today, I just wonder—. You might not be able to answer this in as full a way as you want to, so perhaps you could write to the committee. I'm just wondering what's happened to the whole…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Great. Thanks.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
When will we see anything?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
And if I could be cheeky, Chair, in doing so—it's good to hear that—will you be working with organisations out there on the rivers, on the individual courses? And will you work with people like Surfers Against Sewage as well in order to bring that forward?…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
And would extending the inland—. There's a reason I'm working this in; it's linked to the river water quality. Would that extension of designated bathing areas be in lakes, or would it actually be in rivers? Bearing in mind everything that we've discussed and…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Thank you. As we go on to another section, I just wanted to ask this question: yesterday, in front of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, a point was made by one of the witnesses—if this is correct—that there are no stretches of our inland waterway system…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Just an observation, Chair, but the planning system, of course, where there are housing targets balanced against that, so we see planning permissions going ahead because local authorities have to deliver on Welsh Government priorities; the same in England…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Thanks, Chair, and thanks, Janet. The practical reality on the ground with the combined sewage water outflows that we have is that we have, right across the UK, an antiquated system that is overloaded, and we're continuing to add this—everybody knows…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Yes, okay. And Welsh Government could, if they chose, even fixing on that principle of full cost recovery fee, could choose to assist certain farmers in other ways, in order—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
I'm wondering, Chair, are you able, in the work that you've done, and you've gone to great lengths to explain the intense engagement that you've had over a period of time, not just recently, on this, are you able, therefore to—and I'm not asking you to share…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Yes. The principle you're still seeking to apply is full cost recovery. Is it likely that we're going to see, at the end of this consultation, some transitional arrangements in those particular areas that you've mentioned? Is that something that you're…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Okay, that's brilliant. One other thing. I know Janet referred to some correspondence we've all had that has challenged transparency on transport and so on, and it would be good to see how you are managing that downwards. One of the other issues of…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Is it that it would overwhelm us, or is there something you have to hold back, that you have to be careful about?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Got it. Got it. So, you first get over the 'when?' and then you can provide a summary. I'm just wondering what's the challenge with how much information you provide, because we do love detail.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Yes. What's the difficulty? What's the challenge? I appreciate, you made the point that some of it is very detailed; we don't want to see every detail of every leaf, but what are the challenges? Why do you have to have that discussion with Government? Just…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
I just wanted to ask a couple of things. I wasn't clear from your response what we will see in terms of the detail, either this committee or publicly provided, in terms of those SLAs.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Thank you, Chair. Do you mind if I divert back, just for a second?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
That's really amazing. So, our universities are not turning these people out.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Such as?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
Because NRW is better paid, generally, than the voluntary sector in the environmental field, but is this the major issue, or is it something else?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Annual scrutiny of Natural Resources Wales
I'm just wondering if you could tell us in a little bit more detail about the skills shortages. Is it that the skills are not out there, or that they've been recruited into other sectors? Are your potential hydrologists going to work for private companies?…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Bus and coach net zero - briefing by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)
Because these are the behaviour choices that help us deliver net zero. Because if I can give up one of my cars, because I know that I can not only do my work in Cardiff, but I can do it around my constituency by public transport, that's a choice that I will…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Bus and coach net zero - briefing by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)
That's fair enough to say that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Bus and coach net zero - briefing by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)
I'm conscious that the focus in this is very much to do with the move towards net zero, but all of these things tie together in how we get there in terms of bus transport. Let me just ask you two realistic questions. In a place like Ogmore, a Valleys…
