6. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs: The Future of Land Management

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:39 pm on 8 May 2018.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 5:39, 8 May 2018

Thank you, David Melding. I absolutely agree that it doesn't have to be either-or. It doesn't have to be public goods or food production—it can be both, and that's the message that I certainly make sure everyone is absolutely onside around.

I absolutely agree with you around planting trees and, obviously, this is now in the portfolio of Hannah Blythyn, the Minister for Environment, but you will remember that when I came to committee, I absolutely held my hands up and said that we were not planting enough trees. We should have been doing 5,000 hectares a year if we were going to reach our target of 2030, and I know that this is something that Hannah Blythyn is looking at—how we can get that strategy on target.

Certainly, farmers and land managers are telling me that this is an area where they want to help. I think there is a reluctance by some who feel that if they plant a forest on their farm, that that land is gone for a long time—it's a very long-term idea, so they're reluctant to do so. But I think, in general, farmers and land managers are very keen to look at what they can do, particularly in relation to diversification, which I mentioned before.

Certainly, the committee's report 'Branching out'—I think, again, there were some very good recommendations that came forward, and, again, myself and officials are looking at what we consider. I think there were a couple around using tree planting as a natural solution to reducing flood risk and trapping atmospheric carbon. We want to extend opportunities for community access to woodland. From a well-being point of view we want to be able to do that. And also, I think we need to find mechanisms to increase woodland planting, and I think that includes commercial plantation as well. So, these are all things that we can look at going forward.