Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. The nature recovery plan for Wales sets out our objectives and actions to achieve our ambition to reverse the decline in biodiversity by 2020. This will contribute to the nation’s well-being and the sustainable management of our natural resources.
Lesley Griffiths: I was very pleased to see that last week. They offered me the hedgehog, but I decided that I would be champion for all of Wales’s biodiversity. [Interruption.] I thought perhaps it was a bit prickly. [Laughter.] But I absolutely do support the role of species champions. I think it’s a really good initiative, because it will highlight the importance of species, their habitat needs, and the...
Lesley Griffiths: I was just going to say that, in my day, that was called Tufty. I think you raise a very important point, and, certainly, I will be meeting very regularly with Natural Resources Wales on forestry. It’s hugely important to our country, so I’m very happy to take that forward.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. This was a serious water pollution incident caused by an unknown quantity of farm slurry entering the watercourse from a local farm, resulting in 380 dead fish. Natural Resources Wales is considering formal enforcement action following a review of the facts of the case and public interest factors.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. The nitrous oxide in fish, we know, will have a future impact on egg counts, but it is hoped that the river will recover naturally over time. I mentioned that Natural Resources Wales are working with the farmer to implement pollution prevention measures—to improve the infrastructure at the farm to reduce the likelihood of further pollution incidents. They have collected evidence...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Generally, rural areas are not impacted by significant levels of pollution from traffic, due to the smaller volumes of traffic in rural locations. A small number of rural towns have elevated levels of pollutants generated by traffic. Local authorities implement air-quality action plans to reduce pollution in these locations.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, obviously, the roads in question are the responsibility of the local authority. I know that officials have been talking to Newport City Council, who have recently commissioned a traffic and air quality assessment within Caerleon. What they want to do is identify traffic-related measures, which, if they could be implemented, would improve the air quality, and potentially noise also....
Lesley Griffiths: Should changes be proposed on the use of snares in Wales, the introduction of Welsh primary legislation could be required. There are a number of legislative provisions which regulate the use of snares in Wales, including under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Lesley Griffiths: Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 requires Ministers to prepare and publish a list of living organisms and habitats which are of principal importance for maintaining and enhancing biodiversity in Wales. I will be setting out my plans to do this shortly.
Lesley Griffiths: I nominate Lynne Neagle.
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Presiding Officer. I would like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling this debate on this very important issue, and I’m very happy to support the original motion. I’m very sorry that David Melding, the Member for South Wales Central, wasn’t reassured enough last week by my answer to him, that, yes, I am absolutely responsible for air quality; it is within my portfolio....
Lesley Griffiths: Yes.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I think it’s about getting the balance between air pollution and noise pollution, but it’s about, as I say, getting that balance. That hasn’t been raised with me before, but I’m very happy to look at it. Beyond Wales, there are many areas of non-devolved activity that are needed to bring down emissions as quickly as possible. For example, the House of Commons’s Environment,...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Chair. Animal disease outbreaks are devastating for all concerned and can have wide and costly consequences for animal and public health, the economy and the environment. Ensuring a state of preparedness for an incursion of an exotic notifiable animal disease, therefore, is a priority. Suspicion of an exotic notifiable animal disease, such as foot and mouth disease or bluetongue,...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Simon Thomas, for those questions. In relation to vaccination, I mentioned there is a vaccine available and it is the only effective tool to protect susceptible animals from bluetongue. The best time to vaccinate is early in the year, before the warm weather comes, which I know we’re still, perhaps, waiting for. That will then provide protection. So, I think that sort of work was...
Lesley Griffiths: I thank Paul Davies for his series of questions. Just picking up on your first point regarding the TB eradication programme, I have committed to bringing forward a statement in the autumn on the way forward. We will continue to have a science-led approach and, over the summer, there is a significant amount of work going on in relation to our programme. I used the example of bluetongue to...
Lesley Griffiths: I think the principle of infectious disease control—and this applies to all diseases and this is the message that we give to our livestock keepers and farmers—is that you keep infection out, you find it quickly, you stop it spreading, and, if you do have it, you stamp it out, and that’s certainly the message that we will be taking forward on all of these diseases and our contingency plans.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Action to prevent littering is focused on both enforcement programmes and collaboration across key partner organisations working to change public attitudes and behaviour through community involvement and education. Encouraging people to take pride in their local environment and to take action themselves will lead to stronger and longer lasting improvements.
Lesley Griffiths: It’s not for me to explain to the people of Anglesey why they’re going to three-weekly rubbish collections; that’s for Anglesey council to explain. However, you’ll be aware that this is recycling week, and if people are recycling properly, bearing in mind we have weekly recycling collections—I think we’ve got a very good story to tell on recycling in Wales; we’re the fourth best...
Lesley Griffiths: We certainly don’t want to see an increase in fly-tipping, and I commend you for organising a litter taskforce. As I say, I think we’ve got a really good news story to tell on recycling. It’s up to local authorities how they organise their collection of rubbish and recycling and it’s also up to local authorities how they enforce the laws in relation to litter, because it is a crime to...
