Lesley Griffiths: Yes, certainly. I’d be very happy to work with local residents. It’s been really good to see, over the summer, some very good community energy projects; I opened a hydro scheme recently not far from Merthyr Tydfil. So, it’s great to see these communities coming together, bringing forward these ideas for these schemes, and we’d be very happy to support with funding if appropriate.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, across Wales we are, as I say, encouraging communities to come together with ideas for local renewable energy schemes. We have a pot of funding. I think, at the moment, we’ve got eight. I think eight have been completed and we’ve got six going through, or it might be the other way around, but I’ve seen a couple myself over the summer. I mentioned the hydro scheme. I also visited a...
Lesley Griffiths: You will be aware that officials have been having very detailed discussions with the relevant UK departments on the energy consenting provisions in the Bill. A number of amendments went through the Commons; we're very hopeful that further amendments are going to be made to the Bill as it progresses through the House of Lords to address our remaining concerns, and we’ll be watching it very...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We are currently evaluating our waste strategy to ensure resources are managed to produce sustainable benefits for Wales. We continue to work in partnership with the packaging industry and organisations such as WRAP to promote the optimisation of packaging and to reduce it where possible, regardless of the material.
Lesley Griffiths: I didn’t see the programme, but I have read about it today, and you'll be aware that Wales is really leading the way in relation to recycling. If we were a single member state in Europe, we would be fourth in Europe, but, certainly, we’re way ahead of the game in the UK. In relation to your specific questions around polystyrene, I'm not quite sure why you think that, because we have done...
Lesley Griffiths: I've now found the statistics that I have about polystyrene in particular. It was in 2015-16 that Keep Wales Tidy undertook this survey, and they found 5.2 per cent litter was polystyrene, but most of it, 3.2 per cent, consisted of other polystyrene—so, not just the packaging. But 2 per cent of it was the fast food items. I'm very happy to look packaging as a whole, right across the scope...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Chair. I’m surprised that Lee Waters had some puzzled looks, because after you raised this with me during one of my questions sessions a couple of months ago, I had lots of people come up to me about precision agriculture. So, I think it’s really good that we’ve got this opportunity to debate this subject further today. Simon Thomas mentioned in his remarks that there is a...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Lywydd. Our energy system is going through significant change. This statement reflects this changing context, and sets out Welsh Government priorities in relation to energy. The Paris agreement is driving the international decarbonisation agenda. We are seeing rapid developments in renewables, storage and demand reduction. At COP22 in Marrakesh, I met leaders who’ve made progress in...
Lesley Griffiths: We will build on changes we introduced in 2014 to further reduce the climate impact of new developments in Wales. I anticipate this work will start towards the middle of 2017. We’re also increasing investments in public sector energy-efficiency projects. By the end of this financial year, we expect to have invested approximately £35 million in cost-reducing projects. I will continue to...
Lesley Griffiths: I thank David Melding for his comments and questions. As I said at the start, our priorities remain as set out in ‘Energy Wales: A low carbon transition’, ‘Green Growth Wales’ and other policies that have come forward. If going to COP22 in Marrakesh taught me one thing, it was about the whole decarbonisation agenda and how we need to focus on the different sectors to make sure we...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Simon Thomas. As I said in my answers to David Melding, I do think we will need targets and I’m very happy to bring those forward, perhaps in the next statement or via a written statement. But I want to make sure those targets are realistic and pragmatic, and I saw some very ambitious targets by some countries, or by some states and regions particularly, in the meetings that I...
Lesley Griffiths: Neil Hamilton is just so negative. You really need to recognise what we’re trying to achieve with decarbonisation. It’s about security of energy mix, which I am aware the UK Government are also responsible for. It’s about cost and affordability and it’s about decarbonisation. You go on about China and India et cetera; I’m focusing on Wales, and it’s not just about cutting carbon...
Lesley Griffiths: You’re quite right, and the Minister for local government and finance is hearing what I say also. I’m pleased you recognise the good work that’s been done with Arbed and Nest. But you’re right: we absolutely have to accelerate programmes such as this if we are going to meet our targets. As I say, the one thing that COP22 taught me, talking to other states and regions, is we’ve got...
Lesley Griffiths: Currently, Natural Resources Wales are bringing forward the area statements. I will then be able to work with local authorities in relation to that. I haven’t decided if there’s going to be further guidance, but I think it is something that we can work very closely on—or NRW can certainly do so—working in partnership, Welsh Government, local authorities and NRW, going forward with...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. I declared Wales as an avian influenza prevention zone, a precautionary measure to help prevent infection from wild birds. Working closely with England and Scotland, we are monitoring the situation and have increased surveillance. I have urged keepers to improve biosecurity and be vigilant for signs of disease.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Well, the press release did go out from my office last night, so I’m not quite sure why the press release wasn’t picked up. That’s not something, obviously, I have control over. The decision wasn’t taken jointly with UK Government, with DEFRA, or with Scotland. I had conversations with our chief veterinary officer yesterday. She has been in very close contact with,...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you for those questions. I should say that the risk level of avian influenza incursion into the UK is at ‘medium’ for wild birds—that has been raised from ‘low but heightened’—and is at ‘low but heightened’ for domestic poultry. As I say, I do want to say very clearly that this is a precautionary message. I haven’t been asked for any additional funding. I think, when a...
Lesley Griffiths: Over the past two years, we have invested £1.6 million in flood risk management in Arfon. This includes work at Bontnewydd and the recently completed Talybont scheme, which reduces risk to the village and A55. It is for the local authority or NRW to bring forward future schemes.
Lesley Griffiths: The Welsh Government is working to support the agricultural industry to become more profitable, sustainable, resilient, and professionally managed. Farmers in South Wales Central benefit from the same support as is on offer to all other farmers in Wales, including measures through the rural development programme.
Lesley Griffiths: The living planet report shows the devastating impacts humans are having on wildlife and the natural world. It also shows how we can solve these problems. Our groundbreaking environment and well-being of future generations Acts are exemplars in implementing the international commitments to sustainable development and biodiversity.
