Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Andrew R.T. Davies.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, you now have, obviously, overall responsibility for the rural affairs and environment portfolio, and, in particular, Natural Resources Wales. When I've gone around, since taking over the shadow brief, talking to the forestry sector in particular, they are deeply concerned about the management of the forestry estate in Wales, and in particular about their ability to access commercial timber so their operations aren't jeopardised in the future. This is emphasised today with a letter that has appeared in the press—and I appreciate the Welsh Government don't comment on leaks—but, from my personal experience of going around, everything in that letter bears out on the ground. And when you see figures of 12,000 jobs and £100 million-worth of investment, these are big numbers, and unless NRW get their act together and start delivering a forestry sector that can supply our timber businesses, we really will be losing much of this investment and many of these jobs. What confidence can you give us here today that you have confidence in the way NRW are taking forward the forestry sector here in Wales and, in particular, are addressing the concerns that have been expressed to me personally and in the letter that's appeared today? 

Thank you. You're quite right—I don't like commenting on leaked correspondence. However, I can confirm to you and to the Chamber that I have received that letter from Confor, and obviously I'll be responding to it in due course. You will be aware, obviously, that I've been in this portfolio now for nearly three years, and I have had concerns around NRW and the way that they've dealt with forestry. However, I do have confidence in NRW.

Just last week, I met with the chief executive and the interim chair to discuss this specific issue, and you'll be aware that I've replaced half the board, for instance, with new members. They've just come in at the tail end of last year. So, obviously, I've had discussions with them. You'll be aware that the chief executive and the interim chair will be in front of the Public Accounts Committee. So, I'm very encouraged that the way forward now is appropriate and that the interim chair and the chief executive absolutely have this as a priority. 

I think I take that as a vote of confidence in NRW's ability to address the concerns in the letter that has been put forward by 10—and I think it's an unprecedented number—processors here in Wales.

Another point that has come forward is that, obviously, in the response today, there's much emphasis on Grant Thornton's independent inquiry looking at some of the issues that have been flagged historically about NRW. I am told that Grant Thornton have not engaged with many of these processors, if indeed any of these processors, in seeking their views on the way forward on the forestry sector. Can you give confirmation today, and is it your understanding, that the terms of reference for Grant Thornton were to take an analysis of the sector's performance, but, importantly, to engage with stakeholders such as the processors, and, if that hasn't happened, you will instruct NRW to go back to the processors and actually have their input into any recommendations that might emerge from this independent report? 

There are several points to that question. There were 10 processors who put their names to that letter. I've also asked NRW to look at the relationships that have been had between those 10 companies and NRW as the contracts have come forward.

I can't, off the top of my head, say word for word what the terms of reference were, but certainly it was very important, and I had this assurance that NRW worked in a very open and transparent way with Grant Thornton, and I would have thought that—. I've made it very clear there must be no room for any irregularity. So, I would expect Grant Thornton, obviously, then to liaise with the processors to get their views. 

And the other reassurance I can give you, to go back to your first question, is that there has been a change of personnel around forestry in NRW, which, again, I think will strengthen things going forward. 

I'd be grateful if you could add any more advice in a written response, if possible, Minister, because I appreciate you might not have known the terms of reference word by word. I wouldn't have expected you to know that, but I think it's a genuine concern, if that engagement hasn't happened, as to what confidence you can have in the final report.

But another point I'd like to press on NRW, if possible: yesterday, in the statement on 'no deal' preparedness, I highlighted to you the £30 million that has come to the Welsh Government in relation to money that the Chancellor has made available to the devolved Governments. I'm assuming some of that £30 million has been allocated to your department, albeit you didn't confirm that in your response to me yesterday. Are you able to confirm today if that money has come to your department, or if part of that money has come to your department, and that you will be making money available to NRW with the regulatory responsibilities and the permitting responsibilities that they will pick up as we move forward in the Brexit process, because I think it is vitally important that, obviously, if responsibilities are passed to an organisation, resource follows as well? And, as I've pointed out, the money has come from the Chancellor—this £30 million—so we need to understand exactly how that's been allocated within Government. 

I'd be very happy to send a note to you with the detail of that funding. 

Thank you.  

The Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Llyr Gruffydd. 

Thank you, Llywydd. As the announcement on suspension of Wylfa Newydd underlines how problematic the development of the next generation of nuclear power stations is, there is a risk now that we find ourselves delaying and waiting, possibly, for years for something to happen, and nobody wants to see the island or, indeed, north Wales more broadly in a state of limbo as a result of that. So, isn't now the time for you, as Minister, and for the Welsh Government along with the UK Government to spark a substantial increase in the investment in renewable energy as a means of fully delivering the huge potential that we have here in Wales in that context, and in so doing, of course, helping to strengthen the economy and to provide swifter and cheaper solutions to energy and climate needs here in Wales?

Obviously, we're very disappointed to hear that the development of Wylfa Newydd has been suspended, and, obviously, the Minister for Economy and Transport answered the emergency question from your colleague Rhun yesterday in great detail. Whilst of course nuclear is part of the energy mix, I certainly don't view it as a renewable energy. It's low carbon, but my commitment to bringing in more renewable energy has not been affected by this. I'm very keen on all forms of renewable energy.

Just this week, I had a very good meeting on Monday about tidal stream, because I think there are lots of opportunities there. So, next week, we're having a marine energy summit in Swansea that the First Minister will be speaking at. I think that shows our commitment to renewable energy, and I'm certainly looking at ways of bringing more renewable energy projects into Wales.

I find it interesting that you say that your plans in terms of renewable energy haven’t been affected by this decision. That’s exactly what should have happened, in my view. We need to redouble our efforts in this area in order to deliver the potential that we have. In his manifesto to become leader of the Labour Party in Wales, Mark Drakeford, of course, committed to creating—or to look at creating—a co-operative body, Ynni Cymru/Energy Wales, which would promote local energy production and would provide advice on strategic investment in energy, among other objectives. Can you give us an update on where we are in delivering that? And given the news on Wylfa, will you also commit to locate Ynni Cymru/Energy Wales on our energy island, Ynys Môn?

I can't give that commitment, but certainly I've had very early discussions with the First Minister. I think probably the Monday after he became First Minister I had a discussion around his plans in relation to that and he's asked officials to work on that for him.

We had a ministerial statement from you yesterday, of course, about your preparations for the possibility of crashing out of the EU without a deal and the adverse impact that would have on agriculture and other sectors in Wales. In that statement, you said, and I quote, that you're

'committed to working with key sectors to design support mechanisms around these serious challenges'. 

Yet today, we see reports that both NFU Cymru and the Farmers Union of Wales have raised concerns about being excluded from your 'no deal' Brexit planning process. Their only involvement so far has been through a single, solitary round-table meeting that was only held last week. Clearly, time is running out, Minister, so surely your Welsh Government contingency planning group should include industry representatives, as happened in the past, of course, during the foot and mouth outbreaks in 2001 and 2007. So, could you explain to us what role those key stakeholders will play in your 'no deal' deliberations over the coming weeks? Because it is only weeks that we have left.

Both the NFU and FUW, as you say, sit on the stakeholder group. We had a very long and detailed presentation around 'no deal' scenario planning last week. I also have, from within that group—and I don't know if NFU and FUW are on that particular sub-group—a scenario-planning sub-group, which has looked in detail at all the scenarios that could come forward as we leave the EU. That group has been sitting, probably, for about two and a half years. They came forward with a very detailed report. Both the NFU and FUW meet with me regularly. I've seen them both this week. I know that officials are engaging with them around 'no deal'. So, I do—. Obviously, as we up the preparedness around 'no deal', which we certainly have over the last few weeks, when it's become much more of a possibility, I'm sure that engagement will increase also. 

UKIP spokesperson, Neil Hamilton.

Diolch, Llywydd. The Welsh Government has a target to eradicate TB in cattle and wildlife by 2036 and farmers accept that this involves many restrictions on the way they work and operate and imposes substantial costs upon them as well, but that's absolutely necessary in order to achieve the objective, which we all share. But there's a widespread feeling that whilst farmers are doing a lot to contain and control TB on farms with their cattle, the Welsh Government is not being so energetic in attacking the problem that exists in wildlife. And in the results of the culls that have been authorised in Wales that emerged recently in the leaked letters that were the subject of questions from Paul Davies last week, it emerges that only five badgers have been culled since October 2017, and that compares with 10,000 cattle that had to be slaughtered in the year to last September. So, there are lots of people who think that the Welsh Government's policy on controlling wildlife is simply empty words. I wonder if the Minister will care to update us now on what she intends to do to justify her position.

I brought forward the refreshed TB eradication programme in October 2017, and I'm committed to reporting to this Assembly in April once I've got data for the first calendar year. You'll be aware that, through this programme, we are doing bespoke action plans with herds that are in long-term breakdown, so anything over 18 months, and the five badgers to which you refer, which I think has been taken totally out of context, relate to those bespoke action plans. Now, it could be that, once that plan is set up with the farmer, with their private vet, with the Government vet, wildlife is not part of what needs to be done in order to eradicate TB from that herd.

I'm rather astonished to hear that, but there it is. The results of the four-year badger cull that was licensed in England have recently been published, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as a result is now extending them into 10 other areas in England. The results closest to us in south-west England, in Gloucestershire—the incidence of TB in wildlife has been reduced from 10.4 per cent to 5.6 per cent and, in Somerset, from 24 per cent to 12 per cent. So, it seems like an overall reduction of 50 per cent. Now, the Farmers Union of Wales has said that England's progress makes Wales's strategy look toothless, given that you have a plan on the shelf, as it were, ready to be brought in if you give the go-ahead to extend badger culling, which, of course, would be an animal welfare policy for badgers as well as for cattle, because TB is a terrible disease, whichever form of animal life has to suffer from it. So, surely, it's now time, in this particular instance at any rate, to think of following England's example.

No, I will not be following England's example. I've ruled out an England-style badger cull from the day I came into this portfolio, following very detailed discussions with the chief veterinary officer. I think it's also right that we point out that 94.6 per cent of herds were TB free at the end of October 2018.

Well, that is certainly true, but this still remains a substantial problem, and there doesn't seem to have been any progress made on containing it—or not very substantial progress at any rate—in recent times. Paul Davies referred last week also to the leak of this correspondence, which could put farmers' lives at risk, given the activities of some animal extremists. So, I wonder if the Minister will care to reflect on her failure to apologise when Paul Davies asked her to do so last time, but more particularly to give us some reassurance that errors of this kind will not be repeated and that effective action has been taken within the department to ensure that unauthorised leaks of this sensitive information can't occur again.

Paul Davies has never asked me to apologise. I apologised when it happened during the summer of last year. I apologised immediately. It was the First Minister who Paul Davies asked to apologise last week, and, as the First Minister very rightly said, the issue was dealt with at the time of the incident, and the matter is now closed. I also want to add that evidence shows that most causes of bovine TB in cattle in Wales result from cattle-to-cattle transmission.