, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I suppose the recent one would be the COVID-19 pandemic where we obviously had to intervene and support. Previously to that, I remember—
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes, okay. The RIA, wherever possible, has quantified the expected costs associated with the Bill, but for some of the powers being taken in the agriculture Bill, it hasn't been possible to quantify costs, because we don't know—. For instance, we've got the…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Sorry, Simon.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes, it's a competition—of course it is, and I haven't had to be in that competition. While we were in Europe, I didn't have to be in that competition, and my predecessors didn't have to be in that competition. But, of course, it's public money and you have…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Hugely. As I say, there's just so much uncertainty, but you have to have a working assumption that—. As I say, I cannot imagine a time when we would not support our farmers. I mean, we all want to eat, so we have to support our—. I don't like the word…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. We've also got the inflation costs, and we know that they're significantly higher in the agricultural sector than they are for the majority of people. So, obviously, that's something that officials will continue to monitor.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, just the uncertainty about the budget makes this process very difficult. As I say, for me, we're not going to divert any funding away, and I think that's the message I would want to give out. But the biggest risk to future funding of our agricultural…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, interestingly, finance is always on the agenda for IMG, but it wasn't this week, but you'll appreciate it was done—. In fairness to Thérèse Coffey, who's the new DEFRA Secretary of State—who, of course, had been in DEFRA previously, so we had worked with…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Practically, I think it's the only thing we can do—to make these assumptions and just carry on with that figure of £278 million.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, that will be next year—we're going out to consultation on the final scheme next year.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I haven't got any, really, because, as I say, we were promised that we wouldn't lose a penny. I will continue to push for that. Obviously, that funding is ring-fenced until the end of the UK Government parliamentary term, so we have that certainty, but that's…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
The short answer is 'none'. We've had great difficulty engaging with HM Treasury. You probably will have heard me say before that we have a regular inter-ministerial group where I meet with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Scottish…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
So, as I said, the £278 million is the current fund for the basic payment scheme and Glastir. On top of that, you have the rural development programme. Sorry, I should have said we've taken that out, so that's why we're using the £278 million.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
As I say, that's the budget we have now, so that's why we've used that figure. Not wanting to get into too many politics, we were told we wouldn't lose any money if we came out of the European Union, so we have to assume that that's case and that will…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. Obviously, as we go through the process—. We've had to assume. So, what we've done is we haven't just plucked a figure out of thin air. The assumption we've gone on is an annual budget of £278 million, because that's what we've got now for the basic…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
This is a regulatory impact assessment that covers all the provisions in the Agriculture (Wales) Bill, not the sustainable farming scheme, on which, as you say, we're currently in co-design. So, what this RIA does is set out indicative costs of a future…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Thank you very much. Bore da, everyone. I'm Lesley Griffiths. I'm the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd. On my right is James Owen, deputy director for land management reform, and on my left is Simon Bilsborough, head of evidence and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd: Avian Flu
Diolch. I'll start with the questions around public health risk, because obviously I hadn't been asked those questions before, and it is good to be able to reiterate that the UK Health Security Agency's advice is that the risk to public health from this virus…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd: Avian Flu
Thank you very much for those questions. Clearly, you are going against the scientific advice and the advice I'm given by my chief veterinary officer in relation to mandatory housing, and I set out, I thought very clearly, in my oral statement the reasons why…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd: Avian Flu
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Over the last 12 months, we have witnessed the most severe outbreak of avian influenza in Wales and across Great Britain. This has been the largest outbreak of an exotic notifiable disease in animals since the catastrophic…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
I'm very sorry to hear of the situation you describe, but this is a matter for the health board, and I don't think it would be for an oral statement here.
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
So, you may have heard me, in an earlier answer to Darren Millar, say that certainly we do recognise that ex-service men and women and their families require access to services in a different way, sometimes, to others, and that certainly has been increased…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
In relation to the point you make around schools teaching online, I know the Minister for Education and Welsh Language has written to all local authorities saying that we would not wish to see schools do that. We certainly would not wish to see schools close…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Thank you. You obviously refer to a very specific road in your constituency. I think it would be better, because you're obviously asking about financial compensation as well, if you wrote directly to the Deputy Minister for Climate Change.
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
I'm not sure, Llywydd, whether the Member was in her seat when the leader of the opposition asked me the same question, but, as I said, local authorities have reported they made 96 per cent of payments in June.
