, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, yes, it's just very uncertain, isn't it? 'I don't know', is the short answer. We have to assume that we won't lose a penny, because that's what we were told, but, clearly, at the moment—. The reason we, as I explained, use the £278 million and we took…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, that's the refocus of Farming Connect.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
One of the things that we've done is we've refocused Farming Connect. So, again, we know that farmers will want different support—so, they might want more technical support or advisory support—so, we've refocused that instead.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Absolutely.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
No, I absolutely agree, and one of the things we've been keen to do is—and Peter will know this—. Farmers already have a lot of data, and you don't want them to have to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it. So, I think part of the co-design of the…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I absolutely agree with you. So, officials are, obviously, currently working with NRW to determine if there will be additional costs. Obviously, as we go through the co-design of the scheme and bring the Bill forward, I'll continue to work with the Minister…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
No, I agree.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. So, the preferred option is that we will enhance and build on the current system, and that's certainly what we are going to try and do. We will only develop new IT functions if we absolutely have to. I think it's fair to say, because we want to do…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, we've based that on the historic Rural Payments Wales costs for the delivery of CAP in the previous period, 2014-2020. So, that's where that figure has come from, and primarily it covers the BPS and the RDP schemes as well. So, again, whilst SFS is…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. So, as I say, when we publish the consultation for the final sustainable farming scheme, alongside that we will publish the—
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, the Bill itself doesn't define a delivery mechanism for future support. As you know, the SFS is currently being designed still, so therefore a quantitative assessment of the benefits is not really possible at this stage. But, again, the evidence that's…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
We have a forestry provision stakeholder group, and the likely costs and benefits were identified working with that group. There were representatives of both forestry and conservation sectors on that group, and there were a number of unquantified costs that I…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
But, as I say, it is quantified in the EM.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, it would depend on the tenancy agreement, because, obviously, every one is unique, so it would absolutely depend on the type of—. But I should say that we hope to avoid disputes. I mean, we're going to do our very best to make sure that that's what this…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, the cost has been quantified in the explanatory memorandum. I don't have the figures off the top of my head. I don't know if anybody else does, but we can certainly provide those if—
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes, okay.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
There's no shortage of that. An impact report will have to be completed periodically as well. There will be reporting requirements for progress that will be made against the sustainable land management objectives. So, there will be a huge range. There'll be…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
There's a comprehensive monitoring and reporting requirement. So, again, James mentioned some of those, but there'll be an annual financial reporting of schemes operating under the power to provide support.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, I guess you'll have me here again [Laughter.]
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, I anticipate that that work will estimate the economic impact of the proposed FSF—the SFS, sorry, I said the wrong letters—on the Welsh farming sector, at both a regional and a sectoral level and obviously, for different types of farms and for different…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
We'll send you a note then.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
No deal.
