Protecting Biodiversity

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 17 July 2019.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 2:16, 17 July 2019

Biodiversity is an important part of the consultation exercise you're undertaking at the moment into supporting farms, and the farming community obviously will play a really important role in developing that biodiversity. One thing that is central to your consultation document is specific on-farm plans, individual farm plans, and individual land manager plans. What assessment have you made of the capacity to develop these plans if they are taken forward?

I appreciate they're in the consultation at the moment, but surely before you've put that proposal forward you've done some assessment as to the level of capacity that Government and whoever you contract this service out to have. Because we could potentially go from 16,000/17,000 applicants at the moment who've received support up to evidence we've received in committee of 40,000 applicants coming in, if you broaden it right out to that land manager interpretation that the Government employed in the first consultation.