, Plenary
Topical Questions
—I think is a poorly placed attack. So can I just say as well, just for clarity, Llywydd, during the course of the last few days, including Monday, but actually prior to that as well, I as the Cabinet Secretary made approaches to every frontbench…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Llywydd, there is a genuine and serious point within this about NRW taking responsibility for how this came about, actually learning the lessons and being transparent as well, and that process is under way, Janet. But, just to be clear, you've just thrown on…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Delyth, thank you very much for that. You raise some really important points here, because, at the heart of this also—. This is a historic compliance issue that they're dealing with; it goes back several years. They are undertaking proper scrutiny of what…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
—and that's disappointing, because I would have liked to have gone through the real detail of this. However, let me just say, NRW's annual report and accounts include details of HMRC's investigations into what is a historic compliance issue with IR35 rules…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, Llywydd, first of all, let's acknowledge that this is a significant issue that NRW needs to resolve in its discussions with HMRC. But one thing that I will not do is engage in political attacks on the organisation, which is the principal environmental…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Diolch, James. Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government has increased its engagement with NRW to monitor progress in resolving the matter and to learn lessons from the how the position came about. This is an operational matter for NRW, as it continues…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Lee, thank you very much. Just to confirm, we are very committed to growing the woodland estate and the forestry estate throughout Wales in all aspects of the work that we do, so whether that's the national forest, whether that's the good work that is going…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Carolyn, absolutely yes, and thank you again for raising this constantly and loudly and repeatedly here on the floor of the Senedd, and outside in the public domain as well. All landowners have that responsibility to make sure that their ditches, their…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Ah, right, okay. Yes, I'm more than happy to meet with you and discuss those, because part of the climate resilience piece is thinking differently. In years gone by, IDDs or IDBs, as they were in England, when I was the DEFRA Minister, were very much seen as…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
A couple of really good points. First of all, I'm more than happy to meet with you and discuss the issue. Just so I don't get it wrong, are we talking about sustainable drainage systems or drainage in agricultural land?
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Jenny, thank you so much, and simply in terms of the peatland restoration targets, no, they were high and ambitious, and it's a real credit, as you said, to all of those involved that we've met those. And I think the peatland restoration programme shows the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
I will try and respond to most of the points that you’ve raised there. First of all, as you rightly acknowledge, we have declared nature and climate emergencies here, as indeed have many local authorities across the country, as indeed have many public bodies…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Thank you very much, Delyth. There were many things there.
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Diolch, Janet. Dirprwy Lywydd, just to point out that the strategy that has been brought forward and the statement today is to give the first opportunity, not the only opportunity, to discuss the range of issues within this. Because the strategy, indeed, is…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Dirprwy Lywydd, several difficult and complex challenges stem from climate change, and there is still a lot to do. Our new strategy on climate adaptation is certainly an important step forward. Thank you.
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Many of our communities are already feeling the impact of rising sea levels and coastal erosion. We are seeing increasing risks from storms, heavy rainfall, heatwaves, drought and wildfire. And we must always remember that the impacts of climate change will…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: The Climate Adaptation Strategy
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Climate change is happening now. We can already see the effects. Here in Wales, it is affecting our communities, our public services, our infrastructure and our natural world, and these changes will only escalate over the next few…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
Thank you, Chair. Because of the speed of the development in the introduction of this Bill, there's been no opportunity to complete a regulatory and economic impact assessment. However, the secondary legislation that will flow from the Bill—and I've mentioned…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
It's because we see this as primarily an administrative measure, in moving those aspects of abstraction and impounding activities into another area. It's not fundamentally changing policy; it's just where they will be dealt with in legislation. So, on that…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
Yes, negative procedure. And we think this is right, by the way. We've looked at previous precedent on this, because what this is looking to do is move the abstraction and the impounding activities into a different spot within the legislative framework. It's…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
No. We don't have a specific timeline, because the Bill is proceeding at pace, but we want to see the measures that flow from this Bill implemented in a timely manner with no significant delay from what might happen on an England basis. We're trying to do…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
On a draft of the regulations? Are we at that point where we've considered that yet, doing a draft on all the regulations, or is it more to do—? Sorry, I'm genuinely consulting here. Or is it going to be on specific ones as needed? Because that would have…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
We do. That is our judgment, because to have all the specific offences set out on the face of the Bill may not offer the flexibility that is required, and would not, actually, give the opportunity for us to come forward in that manner I've described, where we…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Water (Special Measures) Bill: evidence session
Yes, indeed. And, of course, the Bill is still ongoing as well, so we're continuing to have those discussions as well. But there is no doubt that UK Ministers are very seized by the different nature of one of the two water companies here in Wales.
