, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
No, that's fine. You take your time.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Okay. Can you give us an update as well on the end-to-end review of marine licensing processes and what budget has been allocated to that, and, as well, to develop [Inaudible.] energy?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Okay, fine. Thank you very much.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Okay. Huw.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Should that not be tapered or introduced in a more reasonable manner?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
And very much of the moment as well, because the consultation process has suggested quite significant hikes in some charges. Are you concerned that some of the—? I don't want to characterise the whole process as being of that magnitude, but there have been…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Yes, I see that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Sure. But, ultimately, if there is a gap, then, there are only a few ways that that gap can be closed—either Government stumps up the money, which has its challenges, or you don't expect NRW to deliver certain aspects of the work that they're currently…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Simplify; yes, you're right.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
It should be a word, if it isn't.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
I remember from the predecessor bodies—it was one of those areas, wasn't it?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Well, we've still got half an hour left, so don't worry. [Laughter.] The baseline review seems to have been going on for a very long time. Maybe you could give us an update of where we are on that, and also, clearly, what kind of arrangements might be put in…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
I want to move on to Natural Resources Wales, because no budget scrutiny would be proper budget scrutiny without reference—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
I know that many Members have visited a number of projects that have been funded through this, and we would support your comments and echo your comments as a committee, I'm sure, around the need to fully replace those funds, because the contribution they've…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Thank you. Delyth, back to you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Joyce.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Huw, did you want to come in on this?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
The marine conservation zones.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Okay, diolch yn fawr. Thank you. Delyth.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
We'll go on to environmental governance, which is one that constantly pops up in our scrutiny of you as well.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
We'll come on to much of that—the biodiversity stuff—in a minute. So, back to Joyce, and we do need to retain the focus on the budget as well.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Jenny would like to come in specifically on that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
We're just reconvening, Joyce, and I was just about to invite you to start with the next area of questioning.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - part 2
Welcome back to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee. We are continuing our scrutiny of the Minister and the Deputy Minister in relation to the budget. We'll turn to another area of questioning now—and there we are, Joyce is just…
