2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:37 pm on 13 February 2018.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:37, 13 February 2018

Well, thank you for those three important issues. The Cabinet Secretary for Health was listening very carefully to what you had to say about the ward 10 debate, and I think he took your point on board about it not being lost in the general thing. So, I think he'll be taking that on board when he reports back to the Assembly in due course.

In terms of fracking, I share the Member's assessment that fracking is not the panacea for all ills. This Government has made it quite clear that we are very concerned about the fracking direction of travel—is that the right way of putting it—that's pertained elsewhere in the UK. And I was very relieved to see that the UK Government had come to what I would consider to be some part of its senses in taking energy policy in a slightly different direction. My colleague, the Cabinet Secretary, has recently announced a consultation on 'Planning Policy Wales' in general, and I know that she will be bringing back a series of updates to this Assembly when the consultation is finished, and so on. And I'll make sure that she takes into account the energy issues that are inherent in that review, as the Member suggested, because I do think it's a very important issue.

In terms of the Brexit and fishing debate, I don't know if he can remember, but I cast my mind back to my time, in the fourth Assembly, on the environment committee—I think he and I were on the same trip looking at the fishing industry. And I was very impressed, even all the way back then, before we even knew about any kind of Brexit, at how fragile the inshore fishing fleet was, and actually how sustainable it is and how important it is to Wales that we do maintain it. There was a very interesting point on the radio this morning about some of the fishermen, and the plight of the—the issue with the quotas, and so on. So, again, I'll make sure—we have a large number of arrangements, Llywydd, for reporting Brexit issues back to the Chamber already, so I don't think introducing another is appropriate, but I will make sure that fishing features as one of the reports in the future.