, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, no, I fully understand.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
We've agreed that the ministerial round-table—. The deliberations and discussions—. We have internal notes that are being taken—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
So, the ministerial round-table organisations are already published. We can send them to you though, as well, and I think we're at the point of signing off—. I don't know if we have agreed with the eight members of—with the publishing.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
No, how many are on the ministerial round-table? Sorry, we're not making these things too large. We're not doing the classic Welsh Grand Committee approach here; this is at pace, real focus. But there are eight members of that ministerial round-table who have…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
No, it's great. So, the point we've got to is I said we would go at pace on this. We've just had the second meeting of the ministerial round-table. That ministerial round-table—I think we've published the organisations that are on that ministerial…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Claire, is there anything you can add to that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes and, do you know, I really think we need to strenuously avoid any suggestion that that's what we're going to do. The concept of sustainability when applied to the marine environment has to do with sustainable use of the resources, and we know that, over…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
—are in the process of developing their conservation advice for us. My officials are currently seeking to progress the regulatory impact assessment that underpins this. Now, this is critical because it's the understanding that we then develop of the potential…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, I think you're absolutely right. The challenges and the opportunities in the marine environment are now being well rehearsed and they’re much more in the public conscience, which is good, and they’re part of the debate that we have here in the Senedd…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I think it's on an ongoing basis with our marine planning. We've recently consulted on strategic resource areas, SRAs, for tidal stream energy, in order to identify and safeguard those areas with potential to support future use by the sector. Lots of people…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
We're really quite excited about the marine fund, because it might point a potential direction of travel here and how we lever in additional funding but with real integrity, as well. So, we've announced, as you know, that the Welsh Government is providing…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Everything is connected, across Government but also in nature and our ecosystems. I just want to pay tribute to you and others in the Senedd who've pushed very hard on those local nature interventions, like Local Places for Nature. They're really critical…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
It's mainly the production of the annual report in a timely way. I understand why people want it, but diverting my team to say, 'Take your mind off the Bill for the moment, let's do that' and then—. What I don't want to do is to miss the opportunity to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
There is a frankness here, Julie, as well, in the answers that I'm giving you. We keep having to have internal discussions about prioritising getting on with actions that have been flagged within the biodiversity deep-dive, producing reports on the updates…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, I can. And just to say, I'm continuing to chair the biodiversity deep-dive, the core group as well, so continuing where my predecessor left off—the reports that they produce, the expert groups, the recommendations towards 30x30, and our international…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I'm glad my senior official said that. [Laughter.]
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I'm going to turn to my colleague here about the update. I know we're in the process of producing an update on the actions. I think I'm right in saying that we're looking to publish it this summer, if I'm correct. Yes, this summer. You're going to ask me now…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
But it is an indication that we might need them until then.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, but it's not cast in stone that that is the date.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
We had to pick a date that was a best guess, and to give them the certainty, but—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
If we're looking at bringing forward the legislation, bearing in mind we're well advanced—. Just to reassure you, we're well advanced. There's a heck of a lot of work still to do, but we're well advanced on the process of engagement and bringing forward this…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
I was going to take a pause then and think, 'I know I definitely appointed them.' So, good, that's reassuring. Because the feedback from the interim assessor was that there was additional support and help that was needed, some additional resource. So, we've…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
It's probably worth saying that we don't rule it out, but we're starting from a different base here from where some of the other nations are. As you know, Janet, we have the interim assessor established, with limited remit and limited resource as well—and my…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes. And similarly across other portfolio areas, so they know that they have their statutory responsibilities, but they also have to work in concert then with the other public bodies, including those that we've extended to. And there is a resource…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
These are exactly the asks that go to the Cabinet Secretary for health in order to extend the extent of local and fresh procurement and good, healthy nutritious food, and similarly across—
