, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
There we are, you're right now.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Mark can come in here.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Yes, okay, thank you for that. Jenny Rathbone.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Okay. Did you want to pick up on something else, Mark? Sorry, I allowed Joyce to come in.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Joyce, did you want to come in here? Sorry, I wasn't sure whether you indicated, or Mark wants—. Let Joyce come in first and maybe Mark can pick up on that as well.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Yes, and you need to strike a balance between investment in infrastructure and profit generation for some companies too. That's a different discussion, but there we are, that is something that I'm sure we'll come to.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Would it make NRWs life—well, not easier, that sounds a little flippant, but would it make your work more effective and efficient and clearer if there was a stronger framework in place so that you could be clear on what parameters were acceptable?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Do we need law to limit this?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
What is the acceptable level? I'm sure it depends on sensitivities locally, but if there is somewhere that is less sensitive, is it as simple as saying that you allow more overflows?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
Okay, thank you, Delyth. And we'll come to some of those details as we make progress in terms of monitoring and what's already in place. But if we can just take a few steps back and look at the process of permitting combined storm overflows and allowing those…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Water quality and sewage discharges - evidence session 1
We'll move to our second item, and of course today we are looking at water quality and sewage discharges. For the first evidence session we have witnesses from Ofwat and Natural Resources Wales. Welcome to you, David Black, interim chief executive of Ofwat…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest
Right. You will be aware if I do lose contact for any reason that Delyth Jewell will step in to chair whilst I try and resolve any technical difficulties that may arise.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest
There we are. Well, we're all species champions here, so I suppose we should all acknowledge the fact that that's the case. Okay. Diolch yn fawr.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest
Good morning and welcome to this meeting of the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee at the Senedd. We welcome you all to the meeting this morning. This is a bilingual meeting. Simultaneous interpretation is available, so if you need that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you for that response. FareShare Cymru has celebrated its tenth birthday recently, and they're needed now more than ever, I would say. One aspect of their work is to run the Surplus with Purpose Cymru fund. The fund—which is funded by Government, in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
7. Will the Minister provide an update on efforts to ensure that any food produced in Wales is used efficiently? OQ57576
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
And, of course, not only are they denying us the funding that's rightfully ours, but they're also denying us the fiscal levers that would really help make a difference to people's lives here in Wales, from intentionally restricting what fiscal powers we have…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, the blatant denial of funding to Wales by the Westminster Government has probably gone to another level, hasn't it, this week. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised, because we already know that the UK Government is denying Wales our £5…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, there is a cost-of-living tsunami breaking around us, isn't there, Minister? And once again, local authorities, among others of course, will be in the eye of the storm as they continue to deal on the one hand with the challenges of COVID, whilst also…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
2. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on local authority budgets? OQ57575
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Procurement Update
Finally, Minister, you mentioned the UK Government's procurement reform Bill, of course, and you know where Plaid Cymru stands on letting the UK Government legislate on matters that have actually been devolved to us here in the Senedd. Peter Fox was asking…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Procurement Update
Thank you, Minister, for your statement. I've used, of course, in the past the comparison that the Welsh economy is like a bucket with holes in it, and it's not water flowing out of it but wealth and money that would strengthen the Welsh economy and local…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you for that response. It's good to hear that. Of course, one frustration is that it takes so long, very often, to deal with repairing infrastructure. In the meantime, the damage can become worse, and the costs can increase. I'm thinking of examples…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you, Llywydd. I won't sing the question, I'm afraid. 1. What support does the Welsh Government provide to prevent flood damage resulting from climate change in communities in north Wales? OQ57533
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (vi) and (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting
We'll move to item 6. We're going to move into private session now. So, I propose, in accordance with Standing Order 17.42(vi) and (ix), that the committee resolves to meet in private for the remainder of the meeting. Are Members content? Everyone is content…
