6. 6. Debate by the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee on its Report on the Future of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:39 pm on 28 June 2017.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 4:39, 28 June 2017

I also would like us to do a lot more around procurement, and Paul Davies did mention this. But clearly, if we are leaving the European Union and we have some flexibility around how we use procurement now, we can prioritise, let’s be honest, what other countries do prioritise anyway in the European Union—but there we are, let’s re-examine that argument—high welfare, high environmental standards, healthy food, local food, fresh food. These are the things that the Italians and the French use even today under present rules. But without such restrictions, we can look at how we might beef up—yes, beef up—how we produce. In hospitals, in school, in our army and our armed forces, we need to be buying UK and Welsh meat as much as possible. There’s an awful lot of progress we can make on that with contingent benefits for the agriculture sector.

I also have to say that we haven’t seen the progress that I would want to see following the committee’s report in March on the workforce issues. We have, at least, just had an announcement from the Prime Minister around her, if you like, deal or offer to EU citizens in the UK. I don’t think it’s generous enough. I don’t think it’s sufficient enough to meet the concerns of the committee, and I would like to see more effort put in there. It is certainly Plaid Cymru’s view that those EU citizens that are here currently should stay and should have the same rights as they currently have. That would give some assurances within, in particular, the food production and serving side, if you like, with the restaurant trade as well. That’s all part of that particular circular economy.

I also think that Plaid Cymru would go further than the report around where we see a trade deal being agreed. If we are to be leaving the single market and if we are then to strike different sorts of trade deals, then certainly we are of the view that this National Assembly should have a veto as part of a UK-wide agreement on how those trade deals should be struck. I think it’s something to be said that David Davis has recently said that the National Assembly will be formally consulted on the repeal Bill—they’ve stopped calling it a great thing—but we need to go further. We need that consultation and agreement on the trade deal that might be struck as well.

The report is, I think, very comprehensive and a thorough explanation of the challenges that face us in leaving the European Union, but I think the imagination that we need to demonstrate now in responding to those challenges has not been demonstrated fully to date by the Welsh Government. It certainly has been completely absent to date from the Westminster Government, and Plaid Cymru wants to see much further action and much faster action.