, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
About 10 days ago.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Okay. Thank you. Changes to the school year: obviously, a potential £1 million impact to the Royal Welsh Show. I was just wondering what update you could provide us on your discussions with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, and, potentially, the education…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
I'm talking about a payment that does not require 17 universal actions, but is similar to what the BPS was—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
So, those are the 17 universal actions.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Diolch, Cadeirydd. Just one quick point on the economic modelling that Llyr was questioning on. Has any economic modelling been done on or any thought or time given to the inclusion of a universal payment, similar to what the Scottish Government are…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Okay. Well, I'm happy to check the written statement and the Farmers Weekly, and I've pushed my time, Chair.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
In a written statement, Glyn Hewinson was announced as the chair of a technical advisory group to tackle TB, and it was in the press as well.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
So, why, then, was Professor Glyn Hewinson announced as the chair in July 2022?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
In March 2023.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Yes. When was it announced?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Yes. And, just on the technical advisory group for TB, when was it launched?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Okay.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Yes.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Okay.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Okay.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Very quickly. I wrote to you, Minister, last week, following a busy day for both of us in the Senedd Chamber, regarding, firstly, the statement that you and the First Minister announced. In the statement, it's clear that it says we are making £20 million of…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Yes. If I may, just very quickly—?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Because the point I'm raising is, if people, if farmers are now looking at the scheme, the SFS, and thinking, 'I'm not signing up to it', we all lose—farmers lose, our environment loses, food production, everything that we hold dear loses. So, the Government…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
The NFU did the same.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you for that clarification. I think it is an important point, because of where we currently are in the discussion around the sustainable farming scheme. People will naturally, now, after this consultation, after last year, see 10 per cent and instantly…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
But not irrigation units. Irrigation ponds aren't accepted.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
The argument that's put forward to me by some farmers is that it's not just the 10 per cent on this—it's also the scrapes, it's also the shelter belts around hedgerows. So, when you're looking at potential loss of productive land, it's greater than the sum of…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
That brings me back to last year's Royal Welsh Show, where it was made pretty clear by one farming union that it would be a barrier. Why then the perseverance with the 10 per cent target within this consultation? Why continue, knowing that it is a bit of a…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
In terms of the net zero response, have you acknowledged that there are better ways of carbon sequestration, of achieving net zero, than a 10 per cent tree planting target?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
What is the 10 per cent tree cover trying to achieve?
