Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Llywydd. Happy new year, everyone.
Samuel Kurtz: Two statements, if I may, Llywydd. Further to written correspondence from yourself, Minister, I request a statement on Natural Resources Wales's astonishing increases in regulatory fees and charges. As you will know, the proposed charge for the disposal of sheep dip is set to rise tenfold, with NRW providing no evidence to underpin this increase. Also, the charge for standard rules permits...
Samuel Kurtz: Minister, I agree with much of what you say there, so it would be great if you would join us on Tuesday evening, because Cefin and myself, Jane Dodds and Joyce Watson are hosting a reception on Tuesday evening here at the Senedd entitled the 'Haven Waterway Future Energy Cluster Reception', focusing on floating offshore wind and the opportunities available to us in Pembrokeshire, specifically...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Llywydd. Happy new year to you, Minister. I'm sure that you are as concerned as I am about the decrease in the use of the Welsh language in the report outlined in the census results for 2021. In your response to a question from Heledd Fychan on this issue before Christmas, you said that some data sources show an increase in the use of the Welsh language, whilst others, including...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you for your response. It's important for us here, and everyone who wants the language to succeed, to be able to scrutinise the policies and the data used to support them. Local authorities use data to measure the success of their Welsh in education strategic plans, or WESPs, as we heard earlier. If the data is unreliable, it could frustrate their attempts to increase the number of...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Minister. Both of us want to see the Welsh language being used confidently and naturally in every situation, for example, in this Senedd, on the street or in the classroom. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen. For example, it was only online that the final full Pembrokeshire county council meeting could be held in December because real-time interpretation wasn't available....
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Llywydd. It's a real pleasure to close this debate this afternoon because we've heard real cross-party support for something that I believe is distinctly Welsh. The Welsh people take great pride in having somewhat of an ownership within a charity that affects and can affect and can influence everybody's lives in all four corners of this great country. In opening the debate, Russell...
Samuel Kurtz: We heard from Mabon, wanting to be a critical friend here, because this is something that we do love, so we want to be supportive in how we can ensure that this is available to all four parts of Wales, and especially mid and north Wales as well. Again, he talked about those personal stories, and the story of Mr Wilkes and Nia and the success from the tragedy of Mr Wilkes, the success of...
Samuel Kurtz: 1. How is the Welsh Government supporting renewable energy projects in the Celtic sea? OQ58979
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Prif Weinidog. And can I begin by welcoming the royal Welsh rural leadership group who are in the public gallery this afternoon? Prif Weinidog, this evening, I have the immense honour of hosting a cross-party reception in the Neuadd on the Haven Waterway future energy cluster. It brings together the Haven Waterway's major traditional energy companies with new and exciting renewable...
Samuel Kurtz: I must admit, I'm afraid I have to disagree with the Minister and the Welsh Government on why they have laid this LCM today and believe that this is a waste of the Senedd's time, and I'm not the only one who believes so. The technicalities of the Bill, as set out in annex A of the explanatory notes, clearly states that the UK Government does not consider that consent is required from this...
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, in September 2021, you announced that the basic payment scheme and Glastir funding for advanced, common and organic would continue until December of this year, 2023. Rightly, you've always stressed that Welsh farmers won't face a funding cliff edge ahead of the new sustainable farming scheme in 2025. The Welsh Government currently has over 5,500 Glastir-based area...
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you. I know that the farmers in Wales who are signed up to the Glastir scheme will welcome that call. During lockdown, we saw the rise of the farmer influencer on social media platforms. With a new ITV Wales series, Born to Farm, and the presence of TikTok star Farmer Will—I'm sure you all know him—in the Love Island villa, farming and farmers are being seen in a new and more...
Samuel Kurtz: Excellent. I'll pass that information on to the new chief executive of Wales YFC, who starts very shortly. But if we are to bring new entrants into the industry, Minister, then we must ensure that safety and welfare is enshrined within the sector's work. Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive show that agriculture, with forestry and fishing, has the highest rate of self-reported...
Samuel Kurtz: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I’ve responded to the Minister before on a debate where I’ve agreed with so much of what she said, and, for 30 seconds this afternoon, I agreed with nigh on 100 per cent of it, and then I felt, Minister, you really did miss the aim of what we were trying to do with this debate this afternoon, in the consensual nature as to what this is doing. Even only last night,...
Samuel Kurtz: I’ll happily take an intervention from the Member for South Wales West.
Samuel Kurtz: Absolutely. I’m very grateful to the Member for that intervention, and I share with him his delight in that announcement by the Secretary of State for Wales. It would have been nice had the Minister mentioned that in her statement earlier, advocating something positive. I’m not one to shy away from saying Welsh Government have done something well at some point—it’s few and far...
Samuel Kurtz: I'm sorry, Minister, I'm not being patronising—[Interruption.] I'm not being patronising. The UK has generated only 3 per cent of the global human carbon dioxide output, yet, as Andrew R.T. Davies said, we've got the largest, second largest, third largest and fourth largest offshore windfarms. I think we should be damn proud of what we've achieved here in the United Kingdom. We should be...
Samuel Kurtz: I'm grateful to the Member for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders, for giving me a minute of her time. I'm pleased that she mentioned RWE in my constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire and their hydrogen project. I'd be delighted to welcome you down to Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Janet, and I extend that invitation to the climate change Minister as well, to see the...
Samuel Kurtz: Will the Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's council tax premium policy?
