Lesley Griffiths: I’m sure the Assembly Member will be pleased to learn that I think a letter is already winging its way to my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. You will have heard Mark Drakeford say—obviously, he was on his feet for the tail end of the Chancellor’s announcement—certainly, once we’ve had a look at the small print, and the Minister’s had the chance to...
Lesley Griffiths: This is something that I am monitoring and, as I said, we are continuing to fund the trials. We’ve just funded phase 2 this year of the biocontrol trials, so I think we need to evaluate that before making any decisions on the way forward.
Lesley Griffiths: Well, you are aware, obviously, of the results of the chemical trials that were held by Swansea University. They were published last year, and I think what they showed was there wasn’t a one-hit wonder, really, in relation to tackling this very difficult condition. There has been a planned series of treatments, which is absolutely the key to having effective control. I don’t know if...
Lesley Griffiths: I know we have exchanged correspondence on this issue, and I think I probably said in the letter to you that local authorities do have a high degree of autonomy and flexibility on this issue, and that allows them, really, to respond to local needs and reflect local priorities. I would still encourage people to participate in the consultation that is taking place in Powys, and I still don’t...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I’m taking forward a number of initiatives designed to tackle this invasive species. These include the continuation of biocontrol trials to establish a non-native psyllid and the development of a fungus-based herbicide designed specifically to control this plant.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 provides controls and supports enforcement on a number of issues, including the disposal of controlled waste, litter and remedial action for contaminated land. Under the devolution settlement, we have successfully amended the Act to enable its application to more specifically address Wales’s needs.
Lesley Griffiths: We control air pollution in a number of ways, including through local authority-led air quality management, industry regulation and the promotion of active travel. Addressing air pollution also requires stakeholder collaboration. We are currently undertaking a consultation on air quality and noise management seeking views on what more we can do.
Lesley Griffiths: I refer you to my written statement yesterday. In summary, I raised the profile of Wales’s strategic legislation and the practical action we are taking. I am inspired by the global effort driving the transition to a low-carbon economy, and I am determined Wales will play its part.
Lesley Griffiths: We have invested over £0.75 million in our local energy service in the first nine months of this year. As a result of Welsh Government support, eight schemes are completed, providing benefit to the local area, and a further six are in construction.
Lesley Griffiths: The Welsh Government has provided significant funding to facilitate access including developing the coast path and improving the public path network. I will decide on what changes, if any, are required in this Assembly term, based on the 5,800 responses received to last term’s consultation and other evidence gathered.
Lesley Griffiths: Where work is carried out under Welsh Government Warm Homes schemes, any problems reported by householders are referred to the scheme managers to resolve. Where work is carried out under UK wide schemes, householders are signposted to the most appropriate service, depending on the nature of the problem.
Lesley Griffiths: We are committed to engaging with farmers across Wales to deliver successful and sustainable rural communities, including via our Farming Connect service. I meet farming representatives regularly and have hosted a series of events with stakeholders to discuss the implications of Brexit.
Lesley Griffiths: Formally move.
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, I’ve visited Castell Howell Foods and had that very conversation with the owners. I think you’re right; we need to ensure that we absolutely maximise the procurement sector here in Wales. We need to look at our hospitals and our schools. I remember when I was health Minister undertaking some work in relation to lamb, and we couldn’t procure Welsh lamb because we had to have the...
Lesley Griffiths: You’re quite right; I wouldn’t even want to begin to list all the food businesses that we have in Wales. As I mentioned, the reason for having that £2.8 million pot of money mainly targeting SMEs was because there are so many SMEs that are part of the food and drink sector. I think the issue you raise about infrastructure—. I didn’t answer Simon Thomas’s question now regarding...
Lesley Griffiths: I thank Eluned Morgan for those comments and questions. I think you’re right about more bureaucracy, and I think the penny is starting to drop now with many of the food producers and farmers that I’ve had discussions with. Again, Members will have heard me say that, over the summer, I asked people why they voted to come out of the European Union and bureaucracy was often given to me as an...
Lesley Griffiths: Jenny Rathbone raises a very important issue, which you will appreciate doesn’t fall wholly within my portfolio. I mentioned in a previous answer that I’m due to have a meeting with my colleague Kirsty Williams, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, around issues to do with raising the information around food for our children and young people—where it comes from, et cetera. This will...
Lesley Griffiths: Diolch, Simon Thomas. You asked a significant number of questions there, which I will attempt to answer, but I’ll start by wishing your son well in his chosen career. You’re right about post Brexit, and I tried to say in my answers to Paul Davies that whilst, of course, we’re looking for new markets, these do take a long time to get in place. As I say, I’ve seen it with trying to get...
Lesley Griffiths: I thank Paul Davies for his list of comments and questions. I think that is really important, that very ambitious target of growing the food and drink sector by 30 per cent by 2020, i.e. £7 billion. We're already at £6.1 billion, and we’re only nearly at the end of 2016. So, that's why I say I think we've got a really good news story to tell. I'm finding it really easy to sell Welsh food...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Wales’s food and drink industry is a successful, growing, thriving industry, taking Wales forward. It is contributing to creating a prosperous economy and a secure society. My oral statement in June updated Members about Welsh Government’s action plan ‘Towards Sustainable Growth’, on which we’re making excellent progress. The industry’s sales...
