I do rise in this debate to speak on one particular matter, but an important one that has been referenced by others. The UKIP motion states, and I quote, that

‘mature woodland should not be cut down to build solar farms’ and I for one am very pleased that this time they have discovered an environmental mandate and an eco-soul. I welcome that.

But, Llywydd, it is self-evident, as UKIP knows, that our mature and protected woodland should not be cut down to build solar farms. This would be a clear breach of regulation protections, and it is absolutely appalling that, in my constituency, 200 very mature trees were illegally felled near Blackwood at Pen-y-fan pond. This illegal action has rightly outraged our communities and environmentalists, and a petition of over 1,000 has already been collated. I urge those who do care to sign that. Indeed, Jim Hepburn, the national regulatory woodland manager at Natural Resources Wales stated in the strongest possible terms, and I quote:

‘this is a devastating case which will have a terrible impact on the local environment and no doubt be very upsetting for local people’.

I’ve both met with the local authority and with Mr Hepburn at the National Assembly, and I’ve also been on site to view for myself the dreadful devastation wrought by the illegal felling of these trees in breach of all permissions and regulation. It is an illegal action. Natural Resources Wales are currently investigating this illegal tree felling where over 200 very mature hedgerow beech trees have been illegally cut down. It is a crime, so I call for the strongest possible actions to be taken to prosecute.

However, it is equally important that Natural Resources Wales are allowed to fully investigate and then present their findings with their recommendations for appropriate courses of actions to follow. All serious parties know that actions of this kind witnessed at Pen-y-fan pond require a licence, but Natural Resources Wales say that none has been given. Natural Resources Wales has also made it explicitly clear that it would take, and I quote,

‘the necessary action against those responsible’.

So, sadly I predict that it must be election time; rather than wait for Natural Resources Wales to report, David Rowlands has taken to grandstanding and political stunts, something that his party is actually very good at. David Rowlands has arranged for a drone, as we have just seen, to record this aerial view way after the event—a drone—despite full investigation and recording of such a breach.

So, maybe it would have been wiser to have sent this drone to locate the UKIP local election candidates. Out of 1,254 county council seats tomorrow, UKIP are fielding candidates to contest a mere 80 of them. On the BBC Wales website on 5 April, David Rowlands was quoted as explaining this by saying UKIP was planning to appoint a regional organiser but added that changes were still up in the air and that’s why they weren’t as well organised as they might have been for the council elections. ‘Up in the air’ and ‘disorganised’ are apt words to describe UKIP.

Let nobody be in any doubt that those responsible for this highly illegal felling will be identified and action will be taken by the appropriate authorities. On the Welsh Government’s woodland estate, no mature woodland has been cleared for solar farm development, because this is illegal felling. It now needs appropriate agencies to do their job on Islwyn’s Pen-y-fan pond. We await that report and the findings of the Natural Resources Wales report.

The directly elected constituency Assembly Member is myself and I have made explicit my desire to see those responsible named, shamed and compensatory action sought. So, yes, I am grounded and resolute in the prosecution of these events. It is a very serious eco crime and I look forward to working usefully to pursue a constructive way forward.