, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you, Jenny. Our ambition is for a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable farming industry. In the lead-up to the introduction of the sustainable farming scheme, the Welsh Government is already supporting farmers through Farming Connect, as well as through…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you, Gareth. Well, fly-tipping is a perennial problem. I think we have to say very clearly from this Chamber and elsewhere to individuals involved in fly-tipping that not only is it irresponsible, but it’s a crime, it’s a criminal activity; it is never…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you, Gareth. Local authority fly-tipping incident data is collected and assessed annually by Fly-tipping Action Wales. This approach helps to identify trends, understand the financial impacts of fly-tipping and it enables Fly-tipping Action Wales to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you, Russell, and it's a valid point, but I mentioned in response to James, your colleague, earlier on that these regulations have been in place now for some time. So, we've been encouraging farmers consistently—me and my predecessors, NRW and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I think those who have applied—. Those who are in the process already and have applied previously, plus those who have applied, are clearly signalling an intent to get on with the business. Maybe this is a real move from the sector and from individual farmers…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you very much, Llyr. Additional rounds of the small grants yard coverings scheme and nutrient management investment scheme have been offered this year to support farmers to improve slurry storage. Over 800 farm businesses applied for support.
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Well, Hybu Cig Cymru is a sponsored organisation, but we do not have direct operational control over that organisation, and neither should we. The assurance I can give, as I've given previously here on the floor of the Senedd, is that I have met the chair of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Bearing in mind what I mentioned earlier about the time we have taken and the time we have given for farmers to be ready and to take the investment opportunities to invest in slurry management, I would say to them, 'Use those opportunities, make your…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I've had some interesting engagement with farmers who've put forward alternative ways of unpacking this problem, and it is a problem. It really is a problem, because the downside of not tackling this issue is not only soil degradation, but degradation of our…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Well, let's be absolutely clear that the recent £20 million, which was part, indeed, of the agreement that came through the co-operation agreement, which I very much welcomed—bringing forward that announcement of £20 million—wasn't a stand-alone. It actually…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes. They're meant to contact NRW if the issue that they have to deal with is with NRW. It's NRW. So, James, it would help very much if you could clarify to farmers who are contacting you that that is the right course of action. It's certainly not the Welsh…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Again, reflecting on the answer I gave to your colleague Natasha Asghar, for NRW, this is not new, the pressure that NRW are under. They’ve had several years of having to focus back on what they are required to do in terms of environmental protection and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you very much, Natasha. I'll strip out the politics of this for the moment, but I'll just point out that, a fortnight ago, I was myself—full disclosure—at the New York climate week. And in that New York climate week, I met with many sub-national…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Rhianon, thank you for that follow-up question. You’re right: we need to show leadership here at home and internationally as well. Wales I often describe as a small but mighty country in terms of our influence and our ability to share our experience and where…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
The state of natural resources report 2025 will provide an assessment of the state of biodiversity and our natural resources in Wales. The forthcoming environmental governance and biodiversity targets Bill will introduce powers for Welsh Ministers to set…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you, Llyr, very much. I think, again, in your question, you’ve shown the importance of people engaging, to see what they like and what they don’t like, and where they have concerns, or where they have outright support for the proposals. I have to step…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you very much for that question. Again, I recognise the way that you’ve championed this. In the run-up to the election you championed this, and continue to do so, to make sure that everybody can have their say on what a proposal for a national park in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Darren, thank you very much for that question, and can I recognise your championing of this national park? The national park legislation was, of course, one of the greatest of many triumphs of that post-war Labour Government, and I was pleased as a Minister…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Indeed. The designation of a national park in north-east Wales is a programme for government commitment. We have asked NRW to undertake the detailed assessment and the engagement work that is necessary. NRW will now be seeking the public's views on refined…
, Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Natural Resources Wales—Annual Scrutiny 2023-24'
I think that point has come across clearly from a lot of organisations out there who want to see a smooth transition—if they can put together cases to actually run these facilities, they don't want a gap in-between. I think that's been very clear to NRW, and…
, Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report, 'Natural Resources Wales—Annual Scrutiny 2023-24'
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you very much to the Chair and the committee, and also the other speakers today who've spoken very eloquently and passionately, either on local issues or on particular issues of interest, but also on strategic issues to do…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Indeed. Absolutely. And I think one of the biggest services we can do to our constituents, and to keep Wales free of this disease, is to ram home these messages today, and it is the work we've been doing over not just several months, but since we've been…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
James, thank you for those questions, and, Llywydd, just to clarify, we had, in discussion with the chief veterinary officer and officials from APHA, planned to bring to bring forward a statement today, which we brought forward—the written statement—when we…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Diolch, James. I have issued a statement today setting out the latest position in Wales and my advice to farmers. My officials are in daily contact with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and other partners to control bluetongue. Although the virus has been…
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Flooding—Preparing for winter
Yes, absolutely, Joyce, and thank you for raising that because, oddly, sometimes, when we talk about green jobs, we talk about renewables and so on, but actually, whether it's in hard engineering solutions or natural process solutions, there are well-paid…
