27 February 2024 , Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
I'd like an urgent statement, please, relating to Ffos-y-fran in Merthyr. The company in charge of the site said that they would stop extracting coal last November, after illegally mining for more than a year. Now, I've been informed that coal mining was…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 22: Part 9 – General provisions: General (Amendments 178, 179, 135, 136, 137, 138, 155, 180, 181, 182, 32, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190)
Gadeirydd, I think that 155 has fallen.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 21: Part 8 – Supplementary functions: Biodiversity net gain (Amendment 153)
Yes, please.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 21: Part 8 – Supplementary functions: Biodiversity net gain (Amendment 153)
Yes, I would withdraw that, because—. Yes, I will withdraw it.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 21: Part 8 – Supplementary functions: Biodiversity net gain (Amendment 153)
Diolch, briefly. I'm intrigued by Joel's points—thank you for that—and I'm very happy and very grateful to the Minister for setting out that commitment, and I would be very pleased to take the Minister up on that.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 21: Part 8 – Supplementary functions: Biodiversity net gain (Amendment 153)
Diolch, Gadeirydd. So, I speak to that lone amendment. And what we're suggesting here, as the Chair's just set out, is that there should be a requirement to bring forward proposals or regulations relating to biodiversity gain, to highlight as well that there…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 20: Part 8 – Supplementary functions: General (Amendments 174, 175, 92, 176, 93, 30, 31, 94, 154, 177)
Diolch, Gadeirydd. I speak to amendment 154. I'd argue that consulting Community Energy Wales about infrastructure consent applications would greatly assist the Welsh Government's ambition to expand community energy in Wales. I do appreciate the points that…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 18: Part 6 - Infrastructure Consent Orders (Amendments 65, 66, 131, 132, 133, 171, 23, 172, 24, 33, 34, 35, 36, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
Can I just ask for clarification? Is amendment 66 consequential to amendment 65? No, it's different. Okay, thank you.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 16: Part 5 – Deciding applications: Statutory policies (Amendments 62, 129, 168, 130, 152, 169, 170)
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I speak to amendment 152. The amendment is to ensure that climate change and the environment are part of the decision-making process. The intention is that it would ensure that there's a duty on Ministers, or the examining authority, to…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 14: Part 4 – Examining applications: Operation of inquiry, including access to evidence and assistance for objectors (Amendments 166, 126, 127, 167, 128, 149, 150, 151, 58, 59, 60)
Diolch, Gadeirydd. I speak to amendments 149, 150 and 151. The intention behind these amendments has been set out very usefully already by the Minister. The importance of deciding a development in close proximity to those affected, as close as is practicable…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 13: Part 4 – Examining applications: Choice of inquiry, hearing or written procedure (Amendments 146, 165, 125, 18, 57, 147, 148)
Similarly.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 13: Part 4 – Examining applications: Choice of inquiry, hearing or written procedure (Amendments 146, 165, 125, 18, 57, 147, 148)
Yes.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 13: Part 4 – Examining applications: Choice of inquiry, hearing or written procedure (Amendments 146, 165, 125, 18, 57, 147, 148)
Diolch, Gadeirydd. Thank you to Members who spoke there. I wasn't persuaded by what Joel said about Janet's amendments, I'm afraid, but it does make more sense now, so thank you for setting that out. Jenny, I take your point about very small projects, like a…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 13: Part 4 – Examining applications: Choice of inquiry, hearing or written procedure (Amendments 146, 165, 125, 18, 57, 147, 148)
—and I'd, again, appreciate more clarity on the purpose of that amendment. I look forward to hearing that. Diolch.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 13: Part 4 – Examining applications: Choice of inquiry, hearing or written procedure (Amendments 146, 165, 125, 18, 57, 147, 148)
Diolch, Gadeirydd. Group 13, unlucky for some. [Laughter.] I move amendments 146, 147 and 148; I'll speak to amendment 155, although I know that that's not in this group, Cadeirydd. To me, these are all about aiming to increase transparency. It seems…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 12: Part 4 – Examining applications: Examining authority – panel constitution and expertise (Amendments 124, 145)
I'm not going to move it, if that's all right with the committee, because of the potential pitfalls that the Minister has outlined.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 12: Part 4 – Examining applications: Examining authority – panel constitution and expertise (Amendments 124, 145)
Diolch, Gadeirydd. I move amendment 145, and I note that, if amendment 124 is agreed, then this amendment would fall. This is a probing amendment, and it's enabled to discuss or to explore and find out from the Minister how the expertise of the examiner will…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 11: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Application procedure (Amendments 197, 198, 54, 7, 162, 163, 164, 8, 123, 55, 9, 10, 143, 56, 144, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
With the committee's permission, I would not move it.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 11: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Application procedure (Amendments 197, 198, 54, 7, 162, 163, 164, 8, 123, 55, 9, 10, 143, 56, 144, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
Bearing in mind what the Minister said to me about working on an alternative, with the committee's permission, I'd be minded not to put that to a vote.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 11: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Application procedure (Amendments 197, 198, 54, 7, 162, 163, 164, 8, 123, 55, 9, 10, 143, 56, 144, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
Abstentions.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 11: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Application procedure (Amendments 197, 198, 54, 7, 162, 163, 164, 8, 123, 55, 9, 10, 143, 56, 144, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
Abstentions.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 11: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Application procedure (Amendments 197, 198, 54, 7, 162, 163, 164, 8, 123, 55, 9, 10, 143, 56, 144, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
And a word of support for amendments 197 and 198. I believe these amendments could help bring about greater transparency. Any transparency is going to be of assistance in this system, which is so opaque. So, in terms of democratising the system, I think they…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 11: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Application procedure (Amendments 197, 198, 54, 7, 162, 163, 164, 8, 123, 55, 9, 10, 143, 56, 144, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
Diolch. I speak to amendments 143 and 144. Amendment 144 is a probing amendment that inserts a new subsection requiring consultation on the proposed marine plan. This is because the upcoming decades of major infrastructure development in the Welsh marine area…
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 10: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Pre-application procedure – s30 (Amendments 120, 6, 141, 142, 121, 122)
Yes.
22 February 2024 , Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Group 10: Part 3 – Applying for Infrastructure Consent: Pre-application procedure – s30 (Amendments 120, 6, 141, 142, 121, 122)
I move.
