Diolch, Llywydd. This debate is about the contribution our areas of outstanding natural beauty and national parks make to Wales. Together, they cover nearly a quarter of Wales, and the debate is about how they can, and must, deliver more. All landscapes have a special value to people. They create and sustain a sense of place for our communities, for the people who live and work in them, and for those who visit them.

On 9 May, I published ‘Future Landscapes: Delivering for Wales’, on behalf of the broad partnership that contributed to its development. The publication marks the culmination of the review of designated landscapes, and now paves the way to a new approach for delivery. It builds on the firm platform of environmental legislation we have established, through both the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

The review has taken place in two related but distinct phases. The first phase was undertaken by an independent panel, chaired by Professor Terry Marsden. The second phase—a wider partnership approach—chaired by Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, under the title of Future Landscapes Wales, and I would like to place on record my thanks to Dafydd and all the group for their work.

Professor Marsden’s substantial report, and its recommendations, provides a valuable basis for the Future Landscapes Wales programme, which was able to reflect on this initial review at a time when the well-being of future generations Act and the Environment (Wales) Act, had been enshrined in Welsh law. The proposition developed by Future Landscapes Wales sets the designated landscapes on a path to drive the sustainable management of natural resources within their areas, and beyond their current boundaries.

Since the publication of the report, there has been a lot of discussion on the Sandford principle, and it is mentioned in one of the amendments to today’s motion. This principle applies to the existing two purposes of national parks, which are to both conserve and enhance natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage, and to promote opportunities to enjoy the area. The principle emerged from the review of the national parks in 1974, and is now enshrined in the current legislation for national parks through the Environment Act 1995. It requires greater weight be given to the conservation purpose when it appears there is conflict with the recreation purpose. This does not mean the national parks have a primary conservation purpose or a requirement to apply this principle in all decisions.

I am steadfast in my commitment to ensuring areas of outstanding natural beauty and national parks continue to be areas valued for their natural beauty, with vibrant, resilient communities, opportunities for outdoor recreation and rich ecosystems.

The Marsden report introduced the idea of a Sandford plus. What the ‘Future Landscapes’ report proposes is to consider an enhanced role for the designated landscapes by moving forward from having narrow competing duties to something much more integrated. At the same time, it suggests the need for the special qualities of these areas to be given greater weight in decision making so as to enhance the very qualities that make them both distinctive and cherished.

We’ve already introduced principles into Welsh law through the Environment (Wales) Act to require our natural resources to be managed in ways that maintain and enhance the resilience of our environment. These firm principles, combined with the proposals by ‘Future Landscapes’, have, I believe, the potential to be a Sandford plus plus.

Wales’s natural resources and ecosystems underpin all aspects of our well-being, including our prosperity, health and culture. We depend on fully functioning natural resources to provide our food, clean water and air, and recreation, and they provide for many tourism businesses. Our first ‘State of Natural Resources Report’ for Wales highlights issues for all ecosystems, in terms of their resilience and the benefits they provide. Now we have the further challenge of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, which represents a significant upheaval for the key sectors shaping the use of natural resources. Seventy per cent of tourists to Wales cite enjoying the landscape as their reason for visiting. Other landscapes are special to individuals or communities, reinforcing that sense of belonging to a particular place. Such landscapes include our urban parks as well as our spectacular mountains and estuaries. It is vital these areas, and the way they are managed, play an integral part in the sustainable use of our natural resources as the bedrock of future prosperity and well-being.

‘Future Landscapes’ has been highly collaborative, bringing together a group from diverse and wide-ranging sectors who often hold competing views on what a designated landscape should be about. The Welsh Government approached the review by opening the door to a new and innovative way of developing a strategic agenda for designated landscapes, and I firmly believe the full involvement of partners is essential in delivering a positive response to the challenges identified, even if this is difficult at times. The next step is to deliver on the ambition in the repot, not in isolation, but by strengthening that collaborative approach we’ve been committed to.

I’ve already made a start by consulting on proposals to reduce the administrative costs of national park authorities relating to audit, and the size of the board in the Brecon Beacons. I’ll be making a decision on how to proceed when the consultation closes at the end of this month. I will also consult on whether legislation could usefully be changed to support the recommendations of the report. This consultation will need to consider how great a weight could be given to the importance of these areas and their ecosystems in decision making, and whether governance arrangements should evolve to reflect local circumstances.

Any substantive change to the legislation on national parks will require primary legislation. National parks are devolved matters, and the appropriate place for such legislation to be introduced and scrutinised is in this Assembly. Dafydd will continue his association with Future Landscapes, and his role will be to steer a broad national partnership to take ownership of implementing the priorities. A meeting of the partners is being planned for next month.

The review puts forward a contemporary role for designated landscapes, set within a new Welsh legislative framework, where our designated landscapes are valued not just for their natural beauty, but as thriving, living places supporting vibrant, resilient communities. I very much look forward to Members’ contributions.