, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Okay. They've awarded a contract to run some veterinary field trials of the cattle BCG vaccine, and the companion DIVA, the skin test that they do, as well. So, they're going to be conducted on behalf of DEFRA and the Welsh Government and the Scottish…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
You heard all that. Did you hear me saying about APHA? The Animal and Plant Health Agency?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
So, did you hear me saying that we should be having it by 2025?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I've forgotten what I said. [Laughter.]
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Can you hear me?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
—have been awarded a contract—[Inaudible.] So, it's great to be able to say that, hopefully—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
This is really exciting. In the summer, I met with Glyn Hewinson, who is a wonderful academic who is now at Aberystwyth University and is helping us in relation to the TB programme. And he said to me that his answer around a cattle TB vaccine is always 10…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I don't think it will be part of the refreshed TB eradication programme, no. This is something that, once I get the legal capacity to be able to do it, I can look at it. But, for me, the most important thing is that information is there. We gave funding to…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I think before you move to mandatory, you have to look at voluntary. And a few years ago now, probably three or four years ago—Christianne can nod; I think it was about three or four years ago—I gave some funding for all our markets to very clearly display…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Well, I'm very lucky that I've got our TB expert with us in the form of Christianne, so I will turn to Christianne in a bit to answer some of the detailed questions, particularly around north Wales. But, if you look at the latest statistics, which are…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Okay. Yes. As you say, we're working up the details of the scheme. I think for me, the most important thing is the active farmer is rewarded. Because, again, with CAP, that isn't always the case. And that came out very clearly, I think, in all our…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Okay. Well, I suppose my answer to that is, you know, social policy is very different to paying people to produce food.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I haven't got that report, sorry. [Inaudible.]
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I can hear you, yes. I can hear you. I'm just trying to get my head around your question.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Okay. Thank you. So, I've always made it very clear there would be no cliff edge. We've got to manage this in a very clear way, and so what we've set out, following the consultation, is that we'll have that multi-year transition. We'll consult on our approach…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Good afternoon.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
So, we have met, as four countries, since November of 2016, and that was done at our instigation. It was myself and my officials who encouraged the other three UK countries to meet regularly, and from that came the inter-ministerial group that I’ve referred…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I think we have to be honest in relation to self sufficiency. We’re never going to be self sufficient, but I think there is certainly the ability and the potential to increase that. As part of my community food strategy, I’m looking at what more we can do…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Yes. So, I would say it’s really important that all types of farms are part of the pilot. From a geographical point of view, again—. So, if you think of your hill farms, you’d probably think more of north Wales, so I’m sure there will be a spread around Wales…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
So, when you say 'area', do you mean a geographical area or do you mean a type of farm area?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Thank you. So, the sustainable farming scheme is the scheme that we will bring in once the basic payment scheme finishes. Just to be very clear, I've made it very clear that we won't bring in the new scheme until we're absolutely ready. So, I have committed…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
Yes.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
So, the way we had given out that funding, it might have been unspent at that particular time, but it will be spent over the course of the period of time that it should be.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I'm sorry, I don't understand your question.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd - General Ministerial Scrutiny
I'm sorry, Sam, but what did you say? Why is that not—?
