, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
I suppose, because I see this all the time, perhaps I'm—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Well—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, obviously, we do have internal groups, probably, more than boards, and I gave you some examples before around it. So, what I've said is that that is something that I could look at, because—I go back to what I keep repeating, really—the thing that struck…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
But as I say, because in Wales we've got the well-being of future generations Act, that is something that that piece of legislation and that governance structure could look at.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, how would the food Bill address those points? Put that question to Peter Fox, then; how would the food Bill that he's proposing address those issues?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
That was the only one that jumped out at me when I looked at the evidence—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, how would the food Bill address that?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
I can't think of anything at the moment. Obviously, the agriculture Bill includes the production of food, setting targets. There's an aspect of the sustainable management objective, of course. The social partnership and public procurement Bill will obviously…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
I think within the community food strategy there could be. I think that's fair to say. As I mentioned, initially we did this very large mapping exercise across Welsh Government, and I think there are perhaps some takes from the food Bill that we could put…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes. Obviously, officials are scrutinising the evidence in a far more thorough way than I am. They’re looking at every committee session, and there have been a few, as you know. We’re looking to see what we can take from that. I’ll pass over to Edel to see if…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
No. We have at least three substantiated agriculture pollution incidents every week and we have had for many years. I don’t know the details of every one, obviously, off the top of my head, but clearly we have seen some increase in pollution that we are…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Well, the aims of the Bill—I’m not disagreeing with what he wants to do. He wants to get that more joined up. But what I’m saying is that, when the respondents are saying that policy isn’t joined up, the only one example I’ve seen, unless you can tell me any…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
What do I like?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes, sorry, three months, not two years. I’m getting my dates mixed up. Three months is nothing to set up a commission, and that’s completely inflexible. So, I probably do disagree.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Well, that’s my view, it’s my officials’ view. I go back to what I was saying in a previous answer to Luke about having two years to set up a commission. That’s not very flexible, is it? ‘You’ve got two years to set it up.' That’s really inflexible. That…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
I haven’t given any detailed consideration to that at this stage. Obviously, this is just Stage 1. If we got to the scenario of having to operate the functions imposed by the Bill, I think we might need to see how matters progress to make a judgment about…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes, absolutely. Invariably, costs go up, don't they, and we've seen that. But, as I say, it's not for me to say how much this is going to cost—that's for Peter to explain. Certainly, the evidence that officials have taken—. I use the Scottish good food Bill…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Well, I'd certainly consider them, but having had—. I haven't had discussions; as I say, officials have had discussions, and I don't know if it's you or if it is just David, so I don't know if you can say any more, but I know you've had discussions with…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Food is very long term, as is agriculture. Certainly, that long-term thinking is very much needed for our food issues, and that's what we do through all the policies we put in place—they're all very long term. If you look at the strategic vision that I…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes. As I say, it's something that I'm very happy to look at with the new future generations commissioner to see if there is more we could do.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
Yes. So, as I say, the Act brought into being the PSBs, and so they certainly—. I don't see why they cannot focus on food perhaps a bit more, but the reality is very few have given food any attention to date, so I think that needs to be something that we can…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
I think, in fairness, I can't answer that question with much certainty at the moment. It would depend how well the commission works, the capacity of it, what the expertise of it would be, who would be working in it, the question of how it functions to inform…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, I mentioned that I'm meeting the new commissioner this month, because, as I say, food is not something that I think the previous future generations commissioner looked at in the way that is being proposed with the commission. So, I suppose—. I can…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, I think there are a couple of issues around the food commission. And I'm going to be very blunt now: there is no money, and a food commission would cost a significant amount of money. You only have to look at the commissions that we currently have to see…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Food (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 7
So, Alun Davies was the Minister in 2014, who I remember bringing it to Cabinet, and me thinking that was very ambitious. I was very lucky to be the Minister when we achieved it, and actually it went way, way over the target. It was brilliant.
