, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
I wasn't told. Sorry.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Well, you will have heard my earlier answer to Sam Kurtz, and you're quite right to point out that not everybody is microchipping their cats even though, as I say, it is available—you mentioned the cost of it. So, just because we're not telling people to do…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Our animal welfare plan makes a commitment to consider extending compulsory microchipping to include cats by 2026. Whilst a consultation is not planned for 2023, my officials are considering a joint report on microchipping to inform this work and monitoring…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. I quite agree, we do really enjoy our Welsh food and drink, and it's great to be coming into the agricultural show season now because what better place to show off the fantastic food and drink we have here in Wales, and really showcase our…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. The Welsh Government is committed to supporting the beverage and drinks sector across Wales, and has a comprehensive programme of business support measures in place. This includes a highly successful drinks cluster, which promotes collaboration…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
The new class 230 train did begin on the Wrexham to Bidston line on 3 April, and I think it's again very fair to say that there were some very disappointing delays bringing them into service. And I know that Transport for Wales had to rigorously ensure the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. I absolutely agree with you around people being patient. I use that line myself, as I'm sure you do, and the performance of the services on that line has not been good enough. I think that's very fair to say, and I know that the Deputy Minister for…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
I have regular discussions with the Deputy Minister for Climate Change regarding transport in north Wales, and that includes the Wrexham to Bidston line. I welcome the improvement plan Transport for Wales have developed, and Welsh Government will be…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. Well, we are aware of the reports of mammals infected with AI that you just mentioned, and the office of the chief veterinary officer works very closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and with the Department for Environment Food and Rural…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. They indeed have been. We've had a total of eight cases in Wales. The reporting period begins on 1 October, so since 1 October 2022, we've had eight cases of AI confirmed in kept birds in Wales. There were two in Anglesey, a case in Flintshire, and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
In light of a reduced risk to poultry, the avian influenza prevention zone was lifted on 4 July. While there are no current disease control zones in Wales, we continue to monitor risk levels to poultry and wild birds, and a ban on gatherings of higher risk…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. I don't disagree with anything Janet Finch-Saunders said in relation to that. I don't think I can answer any more fully than I answered Heledd Fychan, but, just to reassure you, when I asked my officials to write to all 22 local authorities back in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
You still remember it.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
I think I probably should declare an interest; I certainly remember having a goldfish. I don't think mine lasted a few weeks, actually; I think it was a few days. But, as you say, it's something that, over the years, we absolutely accept is not the way…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Diolch. My officials have been working with the Wales animal health and welfare framework group on this issue. Local authorities have previously been written to in order to gather information. Councils have the power to ban the practice of giving animals as…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
I can assure you I am very mindful—I'm always very mindful of anything where you are having to look at a budget. I and my successors will have to sit around the Cabinet table and argue for funding in the way that every Minister has to. We get our budget from…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
You're quite right, I did say that, and it is absolutely the case that we have no certainty about our budget beyond 2025. I mentioned that it is incredibly complex and difficult to design a scheme when you don't know what the budget is. So, you have to assume…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
On the end of your last question, around the RSPCA, it's certainly something that I'm very keen to continue to pursue. Whether it would be done during this term of Government, because it's not just an issue for the Welsh Government, obviously, there are other…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
This is certainly something that we were looking at, probably pre this term of Government. I went out with the RSPCA and saw for myself how difficult it was because they didn't have enough powers to be able to deal with things as they saw them, and as they…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Well, it is a five-year programme. I think that I should make that very clear from the outset. So, we are now in year 3. We have made a great deal of progress, particularly around our codes of practice and our regulations, particularly in relation to dogs. We…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. Well, the scheme will support the sustainable land management objectives, alongside our international obligations as well, through actions including promoting nature-based solutions for healthy living soils, through the habitat baseline review that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. You do raise a very important point. It is very, very important that, when people are on public land in the way that you've just outlined, they absolutely understand it's somebody's business. It's often somebody's home, and it's really important…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you. The Ramblers Association did put forward their response to the sustainable farming scheme at the last consultation we had, and obviously they contributed to the co-design process, along with many other farmers and stakeholders, and I'm grateful to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
The sustainable farming scheme currently being co-designed will support farmers to improve access above their legal requirements to help people interact with our rural culture, landscapes and heritage and generate significant health benefits.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
I'd be very happy to have that discussion with you. We have had previous discussions around a food production park. I do think north-west Wales is very well placed to have such a thing. We know, don't we, that if we've got companies coming forward, they need…
