, Plenary
Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
So, Llywydd, today's debate has shown, I think, that Members may disagree on individual policies, and it's quite fair for that to happen, but that there is also common ground here. We all want healthy rivers. We want nature restoration, productive farms…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
So, we continue to invest heavily in flood risk management with over £85 million made available to risk management authorities in Wales this year, and that's not simply about delivering individual interventions, is it? It's about strengthening collaboration…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
Llywydd, there is increasing urgency to carry out this work, of course, as Wales experiences the effects of a changing climate. This year, we have seen the drought, the heatwaves and the devastating wildfires that were referred to earlier, as many communities…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
Yes, you're right. I will be coming on to wildfires specifically in a minute, but that has to be a collective effort. You will know that a summit is being held, and I'll say a little bit about that in a minute and then we can maybe develop that a little bit…
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Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
I will very briefly because I have a very long speech.
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Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
We're developing, as Members know, Wales's first climate and nature action plan. It'll bring together actions across government and across society to restore nature, to strengthen climate resilience, to support sustainable development, setting out a pathway…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Green across the aisle: Making environmental stewardship a common cause
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Could I start by thanking the Member for tabling this debate and giving us the opportunity to discuss this topic once again, and also to the other Members for their contributions this afternoon? We don't always agree in this…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you. At a property level, as I mentioned earlier, there is an opportunity to have specific investment for property resilience as a result of flooding, and I would encourage risk management authorities across Wales to bring forward their specific…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you for raising that specific issue. I think it underlines as well how responding to some of these situations is a cross-Government responsibility, because of the impact on infrastructure such as transport as well. I will ask Natural Resources Wales to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you for the question. That isn't something that I've thought about, and I will go away and reflect on that. What I would say is that they're not Welsh Government reports. They are reports by those flood authorities. I'm not passing the buck. If there is…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you for that. I think that's an important point that we haven't covered so far this afternoon. I've mentioned the flood forum, of course, which has a very specific focus on working with people and communities, particularly those who are at risk and who…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you. I appreciate that sometimes these processes take longer than anyone would wish, but there is a process in place, there is a window for funding for some of these schemes. Risk management authorities need to bring forward their proposals, they need…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you for the question. I think there are a number of interventions along those lines that would absolutely contribute to the bigger picture. It needs to be co-ordinated, managed and designed in the appropriate way. I visited a site recently in…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
I don't have a particular precise figure in mind. I think these are the kinds of schemes that we can build up through, particularly, the collaborative layer of the scheme, because bringing farmers and landowners together at that catchment scale requires that…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you for your question, and you're right, there's a longer term picture here, and there's a shorter term, more initial response that's required, and we try and accommodate that in the way that we utilise the funding that's available. So, as I said, this…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you very much, again, a long list of questions there. I think it was right that you acknowledged the impact on businesses as well, because we do focus, of course, on domestic properties and homes, but businesses, absolutely. And I would reiterate again…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Diolch yn fawr. There's a lot there. Certainly, in terms of informing people about the risks and actions they can take, I hope that this statement today will contribute to that. Clearly, Natural Resources Wales were across the media earlier this week…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Well, I was minded to thank the spokesperson for her response, but I do rather feel that it doesn't appreciate what is already happening. You know, £85 million is a significant chunk of Welsh Government funding towards flood schemes. We know that there are…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
For example, this year Natural Resources Wales updated flood risk mapping at eight river locations across Wales. They also delivered improvements to their live flood warning service. NRW flood warnings and severe weather warnings are now available on a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability: Winter preparedness: Be flood ready
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. The summer of 2026, as we all know, was the warmest on record in Wales, and the drought conditions affected large parts of the country. But now we are entering the winter period, and climate change will bring wetter…
, Plenary
Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Contaminated land
That's why, of course, we are continuing to press the UK Treasury on the importance of providing funding to support our joint efforts to address this legacy, through both the restoration of coal tips, yes, but also the remediation of contaminated land, as…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Contaminated land
However, I also agree with the motion that at the heart of this issue is a simple, simple principle: those responsible for pollution should cover the costs of putting that harm right. Now, the polluter-pays principle is an important safeguard for communities…
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Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Contaminated land
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. May I start by thanking Niamh Salkeld for bringing this debate to the Senedd, with the support of Elwyn Vaughan, and for the work that you've done, but also everyone who has contributed to this debate this afternoon? I…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability
Yes, improving mental health and well-being is an absolute priority for Welsh Government. We know that farmers face many challenges. I myself have seen it in terms of friends and family in the industry. That uncertainty that comes, of course, with so many…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability
Well, the Welsh Government is tackling social isolation in farming communities through its national connected communities strategy. We also support farming communities through the Wales farm support group, which brings charities together to share expertise to…
