Lesley Griffiths: I think there are some fantastic opportunities to be able to make savings in the areas that you’ve discussed. I’ve encouraged all Welsh public bodies to maximise the opportunity and, certainly, our green growth Wales initiative will help deliver these projects by providing a number of services, but also substantial finance.
Lesley Griffiths: It’s very important that local authorities do have that expertise in-house or, if not, they can collaborate with a neighbouring local authority to ensure that they do. I think that we don’t want to see logjams. I think it’s very important that these schemes are up and running as quickly as possible. I mentioned in my answer to Dai Lloyd that some of the people I’ve met who’ve...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. The availability of quality green spaces and parks is important to people’s health and well-being. They provide opportunities for healthy recreation, support biodiversity and contribute to reducing flood risk and air pollution. Everyone should have access to quality green space near to where they live.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I was hoping that was a rhetorical question and you didn’t want me to actually give you a figure. Yes, I’m absolutely very happy to congratulate Pontypool Park. Maybe the Member would like to invite me to visit.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, no; I wouldn’t be able to justify that.
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, I would be very happy to discuss with Cabinet colleagues if that’s appropriate.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. As the environmental regulator of Aberthaw, Natural Resources Wales is responsible for reducing the nitrogen oxides emission limit in Aberthaw’s environmental permit, in line with the court judgment. Aberthaw must then comply with the revised limit. My officials will continue to monitor the progress of NRW and RWE towards compliance.
Lesley Griffiths: The letter was issued to Assembly Members. I think it was David Melding who made a request of the First Minister during First Minister’s questions last week. As Simon Thomas said, it just set out the limits throughout. There has been a fall, but you’re right that further work is going to be required to ensure that Aberthaw is able to operate before the 500 mg/cu m emissions ceiling. There...
Lesley Griffiths: I absolutely agree, and I do want to assure Members that I’ve been having discussions. I’ve met with RWE, I’ve met with Aberthaw, I’ve met with my colleague Jane Hutt in relation to this, and I have ensured that officials are monitoring the situation very carefully.
Lesley Griffiths: The Welsh Government continues to fund Fly-tipping Action Wales, an initiative co-ordinated by Natural Resources Wales and which aims to secure a long-term reduction in fly-tipping through a combination of measures. We are also currently consulting on the introduction of fixed penalty notices for small scale fly-tipping.
Lesley Griffiths: National planning policy provides a comprehensive framework for protecting the countryside from overdevelopment. At the same time, national planning policy encourages an approach towards rural areas that supports living and working communities that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
Lesley Griffiths: Environmental vandalism is an issue the Welsh Government takes very seriously and is committed to continue tackling. Our Well-being of Future Generations Act encourages us to focus on prevention, to involve people in well integrated measures and for collaboration across organisations as we work for long term, sustainable solutions.
Lesley Griffiths: Plans for woodland management are guided by the Welsh Government’s forestry strategy, ‘Woodlands for Wales’, and will in future be shaped by the national natural resources policy. The strategy establishes the long-term vision for the sustainable management of Wales’s woodlands and trees to provide benefits for future generations.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I very much welcome the opportunity for us to debate the potential for tidal lagoons in the UK following the recent publication of the Hendry report. Whilst we support the principle of tidal lagoons in Wales, we are very mindful, of course, to the key considerations and approvals that must be given to any proposed project, including full environmental...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We are making excellent progress against our recycling targets. Latest figures show 62 per cent recycling for the 12 months ending September 2016, up 4 per cent on the 12 months to September 2015. We are No. 1 in the UK, we’ve risen to No. 2 in Europe, and that’s a great testament to the commitment of councils and residents across Wales.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I am reviewing our recycling targets, but only to make them even more ambitious. I think you need to take great care when you interpret the increase in the 2015-16 figures around fly-tipping. It is a difficult crime to detect, however I do want to see prosecutions where it is happening. But, you know, fly-tipping incidents in Wales had been steadily declining, and then, as you say, they...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, 19 of 22 Welsh local authorities reached the target. Bridgend and Cardiff weren’t two of the three that didn’t. The three local authorities that didn’t reach the targets, I’ve now had the opportunity to meet with them, to see why they did fail to reach the targets. And I will be continuing to work, and my officials will continue to work with them to make sure that, next year,...
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, I absolutely agree with what the Member for Cardiff Central says. I’ve actually said to my officials I want us to be the No. 1 country, not just in Europe, but in the world. And I really do think that we can achieve that. I think that’s a very realistic target, you know, to be No. 1 in the world. So, we certainly won’t be taking our foot off the target. We do need to look at ways...
Lesley Griffiths: Welsh Government is maximising opportunities to increase woodland planting and management. This should ensure there is an adequate supply of timber for the manufacturing sector. Our natural resources policy will be key in planning and prioritising use of land in the future.
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, I too have visited Clifford Jones Timber in Ruthin, and they raised those very same concerns with me. NRW is the largest provider of timber in Wales, and that does supply, I think, 60 per cent of the total sector requirements. We have to increase the amount that we have been doing. We’ve now got the timber marketing plan, which does outline timber availability. That is only for five...
