, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Again, we have to consider convention rights when we design the Bill. The lawyers tell me that we're absolutely confident that Bill clauses are convention rights compliant. They're very necessary, they pursue a legitimate aim and are proportionate. So, in…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Yes, they do. Again, the lawyers are all over this, and it's really important to make sure that we comply with international obligations. The World Trade Organization rules are an area that—. I have a note here around the different boxes; we had to learn all…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
So, I've already mentioned that the main common framework that we've used here is the agricultural support common framework. We've absolutely complied with the provisions of that. I did a presentation to my UK Government counterparts at the Royal Welsh Show…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
So, now you'll have all my ministerial colleagues very worried that I'm going to be after their money. [Laughter.]
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Yes. Yes, and certainly with the climate change Minister, we could perhaps do that.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
No, I wouldn't say—. Each Minister has a budget and you work within that. Obviously, if you have underspends, which don't happen very often, you can then, obviously, particularly towards the end of the year, share. For instance, when I was environment…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
No. I was thinking about the Royal Welsh Show. There was one farmer who gave one of my officials—I don’t think it was you, James—a really hard time, and then said, 'But I don’t want to be part of the scheme. I’ve not been part of the basic payment scheme and…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
That’s a really good question, and I go back to an earlier answer about helping them now be prepared to go into the scheme. I think I came across one farmer at the—. I’m trying to think; I’m not sure if it was you, or—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
We would have to look at all options. If I didn’t have a ring-fenced, and the Ministers that come after me, if we didn’t have a ring-fenced agricultural budget—. Because you’ve got to—. Well, I know you realise, but I’ve always said the funding landed in my…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Well, I go back to what I was saying before—this is a really difficult situation that we’re in. We would have to consider the final outcomes of the consultation for the scheme at the end of, well, we’d be going into 2024 then, before we made a decision on the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
So, as you know, we're still designing the sustainable farming scheme. I mentioned we're in the second stage now of co-design, so I think it's impossible, at the moment, to bring forward a complete, quantitative assessment of the costs and the benefits. We're…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Again, the evidence base that we have is that glue traps are inhumane, should not be in use, so the Bill does offer an appropriate vehicle to bring forward the necessary legislation to amend the current legislation, which I think goes back to about 1981…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Well, if it's a criminal offence, it would be dealt with in the most appropriate way. But, as I said, I think we expect most people to adhere to the ban, because the people that would normally use them will be the people I described.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
So, I think the most important route to removing glue traps as a means of pest control is to ban their use. A significant proportion of users are likely to be private pest controllers and those working at a local authority level, who we therefore fully expect…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
No. I think NRW have to have a foot in both camps on lots of different issues. So, no, I don’t see an issue with that.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Yes. This is a very complex area of retained EU law. So, after due consideration, I considered that the Bill wouldn't be the most appropriate place to confer these powers. Obviously, since the Bill was drafted, you'll be aware that, I think it was just last…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Thank you. So, these new powers are very important, to ensure that felling takes place in a way that protects our habitats and our species. We've issued guidance already to NRW; that sets out a very, very clear principle in relation to the powers being…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
So, I go back to what I was saying about it being difficult to predict. I think that work hasn't taken place, because until we know what regulations would need to be made really, I don't think we've had any assessment of the internal market Act.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
And I have to say, the frameworks have worked reasonably well since we've had them.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Sorry. I think what is important, because of the integrated nature of the food supply chain in the UK, it's really important that we have those powers.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
I think it's important that we do have more knowledge than we've got. The whole point of this Bill is that this is going to be here for a long time, so the futureproofing that I've discussed already, it's really important that we have that. But it is very…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
So, the provisions will be used in circumstances where, for instance, something like technological development or an opportunity for greater efficiencies in supply chains would mean a change to regulations is desirable. Changes to marketing standards…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
We don't need to do that, because agriculture is wholly devolved here. We've got the provision equivalent, paragraph 19 of Schedule 5 isn't needed. I am going to look to Dorian to explain more if need be, but the data sharing provisions in the Bill…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Well, we already work with other countries in the UK in relation to making sure that the data is accurate as possible. So, as I say, we already do that, and I think we will just continue to do that. I mentioned the UK agriculture market monitoring group…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 1
Can you pick that up, Dorian?
