So, it really is a very important petition, I think, because, setting aside the issue of radioactivity, which I'll address just in a second, this essential issue is one of lack of control over our own natural resources, and being forced, in effect, to take the spoils from a new nuclear power station—which I personally oppose, and therefore not very keen to take anyway—but not having any control about how we make those decisions here in our Assembly. It's really underlined how difficult it is to enact our sustainable management of natural resources under the well-being of future generations Act and our environment Act. It's really underlined how little control we have over our own natural resources and protecting future generations.

But I do want to conclude by saying this: in my mind, that in itself is enough to persuade me to have at least a pause on some of this until we understand better the impact on our environment and better understand some of the testing that's been called for by other Members here. But I also want to say this: I do think it's very important that when we discuss these issues, we do not talk about things that don't exist. I haven't seen any evidence that the mud itself is radioactive or dangerous, and that's not something that I've raised in this Chamber. To me, it's an essential principle about who controls our natural resources and who decides what happens in Welsh waters. And that should be a decision for this Parliament and for this elected Assembly, not a decision for a quango or an outsourced body. That's my complaint here.

I also want us to have, in an independent Wales, which I want to see one day, trust in our institutions, trust in our scientists, and trust in the way we do public science in Wales. Some of that trust has been lost because not enough people have been open with each other, but some of it's lost because people, when they see evidence that they don't like, simply think there's a conspiracy theory at work. That is not the case. The case here is that we have contentious spoils from a contentious nuclear power station, which I think we must treat in the calmest, most rational way. Who decides whether this gets dumped in Welsh waters? Is it a private company, decided by a quango, or is it this Parliament? I say it's this Parliament and I say we should make that decision.