Hannah Blythyn: Thank you very much to the Member for her question. I actually too have pledged the same pledge as her not to use plastic cutlery. I think, yes, absolutely, we know that plastics are a big issue. It's certainly something that's in the headlines a lot at the moment. As part of the extended producer responsibility study, this includes an analysis of the potential deposit-return schemes. And...
Hannah Blythyn: The latest data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme shows that Welsh local authorities’ capture rate of plastic bottles for recycling from households in 2015 was 75 per cent, up from 55 per cent in 2009. We have commissioned consultants to conduct a study to examine the potential for extended producer responsibility schemes, which will include an analysis of deposit-return schemes.
Hannah Blythyn: The Welsh Government aims to prevent rubbish from blighting our communities through a wide range of programmes and initiatives. This includes providing funding to local authorities and the third sector to help educate and raise awareness, encourage recycling, support community environmental projects and improve enforcement action.
Hannah Blythyn: Can I thank the Member for your contribution, and I think the points you made are absolutely eloquently made, as usual, and absolutely spot on? Thank you for your broad welcome and recognition of the retention of the Sandford principle. Equality of access is—you're absolutely right, these national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty belong to all of us in Wales, and it's actually,...
Hannah Blythyn: Diolch. Thanks, and you spoke very eloquently there of the passion of people across Wales in terms of how much our national parks and our designated landscapes mean to all of us, and I think it's testament to that in this Chamber that nearly everybody that's got up and spoken has spoken about the designated landscape either near to their constituencies or that their constituencies are within,...
Hannah Blythyn: I never thought I'd say the words 'I absolutely agree with Nick Ramsay on this one.' The two initiatives you mentioned, I was actually in the Brecon Beacons national park just last week—that's the geopark, and also the dark sky status, which we know actually some of the AONBs also have as well. It's about actually looking at how the parks can reach out. There are massive opportunities...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you for the help with that one. There are no plans to merge the national parks.
Hannah Blythyn: May I thank the Member for his two questions and for his interest in this issue and his commitment? Because I know your constituency is very close to an area of outstanding natural beauty, just as is mine. In terms of invasive species, actually very soon it is Invasive Species Week—next week, I believe—when we're looking at how—. Again, that's going to be part of actually how we take...
Hannah Blythyn: I thank the Member for his broad welcome and his questions. He started by talking about the Sandford principle again, and the possibility of a policy objective in conflict. Well, we know the Sandford principle only applies when there is irreconcilable conflict between the existing purpose of national parks, but actually when we're looking at things in the whole, in the round, and our...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you for your questions.
Hannah Blythyn: I just want to start by reiterating my gratitude for the work of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas on this. You did start by saying that, five years later—you know, it started, five years ago. It's, in fact, prior to me actually even being an Assembly Member. But, you said nothing has changed. While nothing has changed at a statutory level—[Interruption.] Yes. You know, you say that this is 'no...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you for that wide range of questions. You started by recognising the national park within your own constituency of Pembrokeshire, and I was very pleased as, when I came into post, I committed to visit all the national parks, which is quite a hardship—to go on visits—but the first one was Pembrokeshire. When I was there, I saw the role that tourism played in that, and also the health...
Hannah Blythyn: If we are to address the environmental challenges we face, we must recognise that designated landscapes must do more to identify, safeguard and realise the benefits from the public goods they protect for all the people of Wales. And when I say, 'for all the people of Wales', I mean for all the people of Wales; I want to see a more diverse and wide-ranging cross-section of Welsh society...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Back in June 2017, this Assembly debated the role of areas of outstanding natural beauty and national parks, when Members spoke with passion about what these landscapes mean to them and to their constituents. We agreed unanimously that our designated landscapes should play their part in the sustainable management of natural resources to protect nature and...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you very much, and thank you very much for the question. I don't think it would be a debate on regulations if Simon Thomas didn't ask a question or contribute. I'm grateful for your contribution, and these regulations will help our regulators tackle poor-performing and illegal waste sites and reduce the impact of abandoned waste sites on the surrounding communities. You raise the...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the motion to approve the Waste Enforcement (England and Wales) Regulations 2018. Whilst most of the waste industry operate responsibly, we see significant problems from a small part of the industry that fails to meet the required standard or that operates outside the law. Illegally deposited waste and poorly managed sites pose a risk of fire,...
Hannah Blythyn: I thank the Member for her comment. As you mentioned, you missed the visit to Merthyr yesterday. I certainly found it a very interesting visit and it's good to see how they've built on their success following the funding and increased the recycling rates in Merthyr. They'd not only improved their recycling rates but they'd actually helped reduce their costs as well, so having added...
Hannah Blythyn: I thank the Member for her contribution. She makes some very valid and important points, particularly starting off by emphasising the need to reduce, reuse and recycle—the three Rs that we should all be regularly reciting. In terms of the points you make in terms of food waste, that is a big issue as well. I think that's why it's so important that our ambition to halve food waste coming...
Hannah Blythyn: Thank you for that question. I'd like to congratulate you on being among the first to declare your support for the carrier bag charge in Wales, with us being the first in the UK. [Interruption.] Yes, in the bad old days. I completely hear what you're saying in terms of the issues you're having on a local level. It is, of course, a matter for individual local authorities to determine the...
Hannah Blythyn: May I thank the Member for his very illuminating contribution? I also thank him for his work and interest in this area, particularly as Chair of his committee. I'm just about old enough myself to remember getting the money back when you took the Corona bottle back, but I think I used to keep it and use it for a mixed bag of sweets, so that's probably not the behavioural change we'd be...
