Lesley Griffiths: One week on, it is still so hard to process that we are here today paying our respects with our tributes to Carl. I too first met Carl 16 years ago in Connah’s Quay Labour Club, or 'Sargie’s headquarters', as it’s locally known. He was proud to be elected to this place in 2003 by the people of Alyn and Deeside. I followed in 2007, and we quickly became great friends, travelling up and...
Lesley Griffiths: Ceredigion County Council is investigating the escape of the lynx and the death of a second lynx linked to the zoo to establish whether there have been any breaches of the operating licence. While inquiries are ongoing it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on this matter.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I too am very concerned about both of these incidents. Officials have been in frequent contact with Ceredigion County Council. The decision to dispatch the animal was taken by the county council along with Dyfed-Powys Police, officials from Welsh Government and also the chief veterinary officer. There are several issues that I think need to be looked into very carefully around the...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. As I said to Simon Thomas, I share many of your concerns and his concerns in relation to this incident—or two incidents. If I could just say a bit about how licences are given. If there is an application for a licence, a zoo would be inspected by a team. That would include at least one or two inspectors that are on the Secretary of State's list. We do have input. Obviously,...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch. We are promoting our food and drink industry across the UK, and globally, using growth businesses such as Halen Môn as a brand ambassador, and showcasing Dylan's restaurant's new retail products. This, with support for Anglesey's food festivals, demonstrates a comprehensive promotion of Anglesey's excellent food and drink.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. You're quite right, I did attend the prep kitchen for Dylan's restaurant in Llangefni. I also went to the restaurant in Menai Bridge and sampled some fantastic local seafood. I noticed on that site in Llangefni there were also other food companies, but, as you say, it wasn't built specifically for that. And I'm obviously well aware that we met—I think it was probably about this...
Lesley Griffiths: You raise several important points. Obviously, shelf life is something we're having to look at very carefully, particularly in light of Brexit. You'll be aware that a third of Welsh lamb currently is exported to the EU. So, with all the uncertainty around that, we are having to look at new markets and, obviously, the middle east is one area that we are looking at, and, certainly, my...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I've already given that commitment several times in this Chamber, so I'm very happy to give that commitment that I will certainly bring a statement forward before the end of this term, so within the next two weeks. The reasons why it's taken so long is that we received a large number of responses to the consultations, and we also received a large number of people's views and...
Lesley Griffiths: I think there are a couple of points that we need to consider there. Already I have been having discussions around the capacity of farmers' slurry pits and I think many of them are at a level that exceeds what is required at the moment. So, I've seen that cost of £80,000; I've also seen the cost of £150,000. So, again, I think we need to be realistic and pragmatic about the cost, but I...
Lesley Griffiths: I've constantly worked in partnership with the agricultural sector and with farmers. So, again, that's been something else that we have been considering over the last year, when we've looked at the vast array of responses that we've received. We did receive over 250 responses, but I've also had many conversations on a one-to-one basis and with groups of farmers over the past years. I...
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, I've considered many different schemes, and farmers have come to me around what they have done around this issue. As I said in my answer to Paul Davies, I've seen figures of £80,000 and I've seen figures of £150,000. I spoke to a farmer, I think from Monmouthshire, who had done it at a fraction of that cost. So, I do want to reassure Members that I am very open to the suggestions...
Lesley Griffiths: I absolutely think you have to work with the industry in relation to policy and strategies, and it was just last week that the Minister for Environment and myself had a presentation around the blue flag scheme. So, we are still considering everything that's come before us over the past year. And I reiterate again: I will be making a statement in the next two weeks.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, yes, I'd like to think I am the Cabinet Secretary for happiness in the countryside. I think, at the beginning of that last question, you made a very important point about the balance. I always used to say, at that time, that I was Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, so it was absolutely imperative that I did that balancing. Now, obviously, we've got a Minister for...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, you'll appreciate that we've all had to make some very difficult decisions. I was in front of committee last week, having budget scrutiny, and you'll be aware that there was lots of noise around the fact that my budget had been cut by 5 per cent; it hadn't, because I transferred £35 million of waste funding into the revenue support grant. But still, I have had a cut of 1.5 per cent. I...
Lesley Griffiths: When I go back to my office after this question session, I will be meeting with officials ahead of writing to the finance Minister. I think I was the first to put a bid in, so you'll be pleased to hear that. I have confirmed that my department has had the biggest cut, because it has—it's a fact. So, I'm not going to try and hide behind that, but I think we have managed to balance things so...
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, for this Assembly term we will—so, until 2021. I absolutely agree with you around 2020 and 2022. We have had assurance that we will have that funding until the end of the Westminster Parliament in 2022, but then you hear different noises coming around. But, as far as I'm concerned, the Treasury has given assurance to fully fund direct payments until 2022. I'm very pleased you mentioned...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Mid and West Wales conjointly encompasses high and intermediate TB areas. Here, we are focusing on developing bespoke action plans for persistent TB breakdowns, which contain measures aimed at clearing up infection. Action plans are agreed in consultation with the farmer, their private vet, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Lesley Griffiths: You raise a very important point, and I think you're right: there is no simple solution. Just this morning, I have had a meeting with officials, and that included people who were doing research into this area. You will be aware that, as part of the refresh of the eradication programme, one of the things I promised to bring forward was a target for when I would like to be officially TB free...
Lesley Griffiths: There won't be any cut to the funding in relation to eradicating TB. You'll be aware that in the refreshed programme, in part of the programme, one of the things was reducing compensation by 50 per cent, for example, but that's more—. We are looking at—10 per cent, I think it is, of the budget to eradicate TB comes from the EU. So, I could be losing that in the future. So, we need to look...
Lesley Griffiths: I do not underestimate the distress that having a TB breakdown causes to farmers and their families, and I, too, received, I would imagine, the same correspondence that the Member has done. I met with the chief veterinary officer just this morning to discuss it, because it was indeed very distressing correspondence, and I will be writing directly to the farmer myself. Again, going forward, we...
