Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’m really pleased that you tabled this topic, Bethan, for your short debate today. As you say, you did raise it with me in an oral question back in October and, just last week, I answered a written question that was submitted by Paul Davies, who is in the Chamber. I said to both of you that it wasn’t something that I’d ever considered, but, since...
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.
Lesley Griffiths: I set out the Welsh Government’s priorities on energy in my statement of 6 December. I described the co-ordinated and coherent approach to energy, which will deliver a prosperous and secure low-carbon Wales.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In response to highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza outbreaks across Europe, north Africa and the middle east, I declared, as a precautionary measure, the whole of Wales as an avian influenza prevention zone on 6 December 2016. The prevention zone requires all keepers of poultry, and other captive birds, to keep their birds indoors, or take all...
Lesley Griffiths: I cannot stress enough the need for those who keep poultry flocks and other domestic birds to remain alert for signs of the disease, to contact their private veterinarians if they have any concerns and to practice the highest levels of biosecurity.
Lesley Griffiths: I thank Paul Davies for his questions and comments. I think it was very good that you, sort of, reiterated what I said about the risk to public health: it is very low, there have been no incidents at all of this strain of influenza in the public, and the Foods Standards Agency has said it’s very safe to eat both poultry and eggs. I think we were very quick to act—we took the decision...
Lesley Griffiths: If I can start at the end of Simon Thomas’s questions: am I confident that every single person who has got even one bird knows about it? I would say ‘no’. That’s why it’s so important that, as you said, we as politicians get that information out. The CVO has done a significant round of interviews last week. She did the BBC breakfast television network. We thought it was really...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I certainly don’t want to be compared to Edwina Currie, so I do welcome your comments around proportionate measures. You’re quite right: there are a variety of strains of avian influenza and this is a high pathway one, this H5N8. I think you raise an interesting point around the general public, because, you know, it’s been hard enough getting that information out to poultry...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Joyce Watson, for those comments and questions. I think you’re quite right: we need to make sure the public do understand that if they come across a dead bird or a group of five dead birds, they should report that, but they need to know where to report it. So, there is the GB helpline, but you’re quite right: they can report it to their local authorities as well. I think the...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Just in relation to the Member’s questions around vaccination, there is actually no vaccine against H5N8 currently authorised for use in the UK. So, I think that’s a very important point to get across. I mentioned, in a previous answer, about local authorities, and certainly in Carmarthenshire, my officials particularly said how quick they had been to deal with the incident in...
Lesley Griffiths: Formally.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to thank Plaid Cymru for bringing this topic forward for debate today and Members for their respective contributions. I’m sure that Members will understand that I am limited in what I can say about particular projects or proposals, given my statutory role under town and country planning and the marine licence regimes. Last month in this...
Lesley Griffiths: Formally.
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Lywydd. I thank everyone for taking part in the debate today. Members will have heard me say on many occasions that the frequency of residual waste collections is a matter for individual local authorities, and this allows them to take into account local needs and reflect local priorities. We know that the Conservative Party is keen on localism and autonomy in local government, but in...
Lesley Griffiths: Will you taken an intervention?
Lesley Griffiths: Conwy County Borough Council has told me that the trial is going very well. If you can provide evidence against that, you tell me.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. This debate is about how we can deliver vital improvements to people's quality of life and to their well-being. I want to highlight the links between multiple local environment issues that combine to make places depressing and unhealthy. These issues can also have an impact on community cohesion, investment prospects and access to services. In the past,...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Lywydd. I thank Members for the very constructive debate, and it’s good to have everybody’s support. I have to say that, since I came into post, probably air quality is the one heavy part of my postbag from Assembly Members themselves. Just turning to the Welsh Conservative amendment first, I’m very happy to support that. Gareth Bennett mentioned AQMAs, and I should say it’s...
