5. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs: The Food and Drink Industry

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:55 pm on 23 January 2018.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 4:55, 23 January 2018

Of course, the biggest wake-up call on plastics is the plastic we now find in our fish as a result of the pollution of the seas.

I'm very pleased that you mentioned that food is about people, their health and well-being, and it's not about adulterated chicken being washed with chlorine or artificially fattened pigs and cows plumped up so that their backs break. 

I absolutely applaud the food and fun holiday schemes to combat malnutrition in children, and I look forward to more details on your obesity strategy. The Food for Life certification offered by the Soil Association is particularly relevant to the food we serve in our schools. They need local suppliers of food to enable that to work, so when we're investing in skills, we need to know where in Wales you can do horticulture courses, because we have got plenty of meat—we're well endowed in that—and in dairy and cheeses, but we need to vary our diet in the interests of our health and well-being. Where in Wales can you buy Welsh leeks—that symbol of our nation? You may not be able to answer that today, but I'd be really interested to know the answer.