Part of 2. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:32 pm on 24 May 2017.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. But, speaking as the lapwing champion of the Assembly, I would point out that the birds and habitats directives enable the protection and enhancement of a myriad of important species and habitats across Wales. Our special sites include coastal dunes, blanket bogs, wetlands, marine sites, all under this legislation, and iconic species like the bottlenose dolphins, the otters, the hen harriers, the Greenland white-fronted geese and the chough are protected. So, it’s vitally important that we retain these protections going forward. Only a few months back, the European Commission reported, from their assessment of directives, that they had found them fit for purpose, but required better implementation by member states in order to meet our international obligations. And, in a study last year, the nature directives were found to be essential regulatory framework, that, with fuller implementation, can help us to achieve, including Wales to achieve, our obligations under the Aichi targets and other multilateral environmental agreements. So, Cabinet Secretary, could I ask whether you’ve been able to have discussions with ministerial counterparts, particularly Andrea Leadsom, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, regarding the importance of retaining these important protections in a post-Brexit scenario?