, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you for the question. I watched the Y Byd ar Bedwar programme and saw the testimonies of people who'd worked within NRW and the honest reflection on what they saw as the constraints on NRW to carry out their statutory and regulatory duties. The first…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Llyr, it's a really good question, because we know that there are multiple challenges facing farmers at the moment: the planning system and the backlog within that and the stretch that there is within the planning system—something, by the way, I've discussed…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Two points in response, Natasha, and thank you for the question. One is it needs to be a shared approach to this on the Wye catchment, the same with the Usk and the Severn, and the rivers that respect no borders, they flow from Wales into England, from the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you very much for that supplementary, and indeed, we’ve already achieved quite a lot since the first river pollution summit was held way back in 2022, and we’ve had, as you say, those regular meetings. We’re really pleased with the way that partners…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you for the question. I'm very pleased to see water quality is clearly outlined as one of the key priorities of the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State. I've already held early discussions with the new UK Government…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Partnership approach to the new compulsory Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Scheme
Thank you, Carolyn, for that. You are right, the approach to taking this forward I think is a signal of the way that we want to work across a range of sectors and ways of working within Government, which is work with those people on the front line, in this…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Partnership approach to the new compulsory Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Scheme
Llyr, thank you very much for those questions, and thank you as well for, broadly speaking, the welcome for this on the basis that it has been brought forward by people who've been advocating for this for a long, long time, including Dr Neil Paton, but also…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Partnership approach to the new compulsory Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Scheme
Thank you, James, very much, for those several questions. I can see that we haven't convinced you entirely, but I would simply say to you that this has been, actually, co-produced and led by those in the farming community—those in the cattle sector that have…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Partnership approach to the new compulsory Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Scheme
Dirprwy Lywydd, I'd like to re-emphasise that the Welsh Government is listening to our rural communities and we will continue to listen. Eradicating BVD from Wales is certainly well within our reach. It bears testament to the dedication, collaboration and the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Partnership approach to the new compulsory Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Scheme
BVD seriously impacts animal health, welfare standards, and food production. It weakens our national herd, reduces milk yields, and it slows down growth. While not a public health or a food safety risk, BVD is a costly disease for farmers at a time when many…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Partnership approach to the new compulsory Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Scheme
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Today, I want to talk about how industry and the Government can tackle a challenging, cross-cutting issue together: the eradication of bovine viral diarrhoea, or BVD.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I look forward to engaging with you all going forward. Thank you very much.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Very much.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Exactly.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Having given the certainty of the BPS for the year ahead, and to give to all the stakeholders the certainty of when we do this, then we have to be looking to launch the full, all together, from 2026. I can't give you a firm date at this moment. I have in my…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Gian Marco, if I can.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
A really critical question. Not only the year ahead, but last year, we committed to extending the BPS. They didn't do this in England. We've given farmers in the farming community, which is so integral to the structure and the richness of our rural…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, happy to.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes. All of those things and more.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Gian Marco just—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
All of those things and more.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, we have. We have. So, for example, we know that there's going to be a significant amount of evidence that the carbon sequestration group want to look at, but what we don't want to do is set them off on—. For example, if they had the luxury of saying…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
We can take that away and explore that with the members.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
And there's a deliberate intent behind that, as well, because one of the things that we've discussed at the very first meeting is the way that we will work as a ministerial advisory group and the carbon sequestration group beneath it. We need to work with…
