Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Llywydd. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute today.
Samuel Kurtz: On behalf of the constituents of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, I very much echo the words, comments and sentiments of those who have contributed today. Tributes to Her late Majesty the Queen have come from all four corners of the world, and many have spoken more eloquently and written more articulately about Her Majesty and her reign than I ever could, so it is her words that I use...
Samuel Kurtz: 6. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve water quality? OQ58424
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you for your reply, Trefnydd.
Samuel Kurtz: The end of August saw sewage dumped into the water at Wiseman's Bridge in my constituency, resulting in the bathing water directive finding the water quality unacceptable. This pollution incident was one of a number across the south Pembrokeshire coast. Incidents such as this are often caused by combined sewage overflows, or CSOs. With water quality a fully devolved matter, completely within...
Samuel Kurtz: Can I call for two statements, please? Firstly, from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, as this past weekend saw complete disruption to rail services in south Pembrokeshire. The bus replacement service was, I'm told, unable to take wheelchair users or bikes, potentially leaving passengers stranded. Having worked with the South Pembrokeshire Rail Action Group to highlight the...
Samuel Kurtz: I would like to begin by thanking the Minister for giving me advance sight of both her statement and the Agriculture (Wales) Bill, especially as she's had a very busy afternoon in the Chamber. It is no understatement to say that this 45-page document, accompanied by the 475-page memorandum, represents the largest and most significant overhaul in agricultural policy since the birth of this...
Samuel Kurtz: Minister, as chairman of the cross-party group on shooting and conservation, you'll be aware that I've sent you letters previously around avian influenza and the difficulties that caused for the importation of eggs to hatcheries here in the United Kingdom. Therefore, game shoots in Wales are looking to develop their own breeding programmes so that they're no longer reliant on the import of...
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Llywydd. Today is World School Milk Day, and I'm incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to champion this day and the School and Nursery Milk Alliance on the floor of this Siambr. Did you know that a 189 ml carton of semi-skimmed milk can provide 42 per cent of a seven to 10-year-old's recommend daily calcium intake, and 24 per cent of their recommended protein intake? It also...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you to the Llywydd for introducing this item, and for the important work that she does in promoting the use of the language in this Chamber and across the Senedd estate. And thank you to the Member for Anglesey for opening the debate. It's important that we lead by example here in the Senedd, not only in delivering the ambitious targets of 'Cymraeg 2050', which we will receive an update...
Samuel Kurtz: I was compelled, really, to contribute to this Petitions Committee report after two visits. The first was to Glangwili General Hospital in my constituency over the summer recess, where I met with staff in what was a very real, very raw and very honest discussion with staff around the levels that they're seeing in terms of nursing levels. We're quite right to talk about nurses leaving the...
Samuel Kurtz: On 19 August, a hosepipe ban was enforced in a large area of my constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, an area serviced by the Llys-y-Frân reservoir in my neighbour Paul Davies's constituency of Preseli Pembrokeshire. Paul kindly granted me safe passage into Preseli Pembrokeshire so I could visit the Llys-y-Frân reservoir to see just how low the water level had become, and...
Samuel Kurtz: It's a pleasure to follow the Member from Anglesey.
Samuel Kurtz: It was a pleasure to have that history lesson and science lesson as well, for me to learn more about mapping Welsh seas. I think the point around funding is one that's purely pragmatic. We're able to overcome that, I think, either side of the M4, which is something that I would be very happy to throw my weight behind as well, because if we are looking to make the absolute most of the...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I thank the Minister for giving me an advance look at his annual report on 'Cymraeg 2050', and also for the statement this afternoon. From the outset, the Minister will be aware of my concerns about the accountability of this programme. As I have said in this Chamber previously, it is possible that neither he nor I will be in this Chamber in 28 years' time, so...
Samuel Kurtz: Minister, the sustainable schools challenge is aimed at upgrading existing school infrastructure to become more environmentally sustainable, but I'm sure you will be aware of the shocking fire that took place at Manorbier primary school in my constituency on Monday, which has caused massive damage to the school building. Thankfully, no-one was hurt. This is down, in part, to the fantastic...
Samuel Kurtz: I welcome the opportunity to speak in this afternoon's debate. The Welsh Government's NVZ policy, the topic of this report, has been a flagship yet controversial policy of this and former Welsh Governments. Therefore, it was only right that this Senedd tasked the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee to urgently review these regulations. I know that the Minister has been keen to stress...
Samuel Kurtz: Will the Member give way?
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you. I'm grateful to the Member for giving way, and I'd just like to declare an interest as well; it was remiss of me not to do that at the beginning.
Samuel Kurtz: But, at the same time, the reason that these businesses have failed to comply in the sense that you're saying is that they're trying to; they're trying their very best to go to local authorities to ask for that planning application, to ask for that planning to be approved so that they can install the infrastructure, the slurry lagoons that are necessary, but they're being turned down by local...
