Lesley Griffiths: We constantly monitor planning policy and TANs, and, obviously, update guidance to local authorities. The way it’s disseminated then to community councils and parish councils is very important, because, as you say, they do have an important role to play in planning applications. So, that’s work that officials do with local authorities, and that information is then disseminated down.
Lesley Griffiths: That work is currently being undertaken.
Lesley Griffiths: That will be part of the assessment and the monitoring, because I think it’s very important that we do see an improvement in that area.
Lesley Griffiths: I don’t disagree with you, and, obviously, with the implementation of the planning Act, it’s very important that we do see the improvements to which you refer.
Lesley Griffiths: I’ve received the report and haven’t had the chance to read it yet. As you say, I will be responding in the usual way. Regarding that, I would certainly hope to be able to do that. I think that if we can’t comply with our own code, then it’s not worth having. So, I would confirm that.
Lesley Griffiths: I think you have to accept that the UK Government have been very tardy with their response to the Hendry review and obviously their announcements around Swansea bay tidal lagoon. I wrote, a fortnight ago again, to Greg Clark, asking when the response would be forthcoming. I picked up in the media today that those questions were side-stepped yesterday in the Houses of Parliament. I think we...
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, I’ll be very happy to have that discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Finance, and then I’ll update the Member.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I think the consternation amongst farmers was increased by a bit of mischief making from the Welsh Conservatives and the press release they put out. I think what I said was that I’ve got about 7,000 pieces of legislation and regulations in my portfolio, and I think I actually said ‘a case-by-case basis’, but what I was saying was that we wouldn’t allow environmental standards,...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, that hasn’t been raised with me, that issue, but I’d be very happy to look at it, and, again, I could write to the Member. But certainly there’s nobody in the pig industry that’s raised that directly with me.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I’m afraid I don’t share your rosy view of that. The agricultural sector is so important to Wales, and farmers are very concerned. They will have heard you and they can choose to believe you or not. But we’ve only had assurance that we will have that funding for them until 2020. After that there is a black hole. Those discussions are ongoing. We’re putting an incredible amount...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Natural Resources Wales is working closely with the developer on the proposed application and the organisation has made significant progress on the marine licensing application. I understand the principal outstanding issue is the potential impacts on migratory fish and how to model these impacts, on which I’m unable to comment further due to my potential role in the licensing process.
Lesley Griffiths: I do meet Natural Resources Wales at least once a month and have those discussions. There are no statutory deadlines set for marine licensing. I think the most important thing is that the company and NRW work very closely together, and they are doing that. I’ve been reassured on that point. But, as I say, I do have an appellant role, so it will come to me if there is an appeal.
Lesley Griffiths: I am aware, obviously, of the plans for a further tidal lagoon in the Colwyn bay area. I haven’t had any specific discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure around this. What I think we really do need is that response from the UK Government. We need it so that we—you know, we’re incredibly supportive of the principles of a tidal lagoon. I think it’s really...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, the Member raises a very important point, and certainly, when I next meet with Alun Cairns, I think that’s a discussion we’d have. But you will have heard the First Minister say yesterday he spoke to the Secretary of State for Wales on Monday, I think it was, when we will have raised that.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. The administration of Glastir is reviewed annually, not least in preparation for European Commission scrutiny of the annual accounts. The effectiveness of the suite of Glastir schemes is evaluated through the Glastir monitoring and evaluation programme, which is due to publish its final report shortly.
Lesley Griffiths: I do think farmers need that money as quickly as possible. However, you’ll be aware that, firstly, we concentrated on the basic payment scheme, and 90 per cent of people received that funding on the first day that the window opened. In relation to Glastir, we said, from the outset, that we would start paying the Glastir payments in February. We actually started in January because we’d...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. The Gower cockle industry is an important fishery, which is why Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales funded the study into the mortality issues. The recent announcement on the cockle research programme across Atlantic states will help us to understand and further develop the science and issues relating to the cockle mortality.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Well, this is an issue that certainly has been on my desk over the past year. I’ve had meetings with Lee Waters and Rebecca Evans and Bethan Jenkins around this. You’re right: the report, when it was published in 2012, couldn’t identify a single, clear cause of the increased mortality, but it did identify a small number of potential factors. Those included overcrowding,...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I haven’t received a recent report from NRW, but I’m certainly happy to ask them what work they’ve got and if they’ve got a report that can be shared with Members in relation to that. This new research, the Atlantic area cockles research, is a major funding programme. I think it’s €3.5 million, if I remember rightly. So, like you, I’d be very upset if there was money being...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, the Member will have heard my answer to Dai Lloyd’s initial question. I think that’s why it’s important that we do keep taking forward research so that we get that scientific evidence. You will have heard me say that we need to look at the reasons for the increase in cockle mortality. One of the other things that I did pick up from NRW was that water quality wasn’t a factor, so...
