2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:42 pm on 21 January 2020.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 2:42, 21 January 2020

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Organiser, the First Minister, in response to the leader of the opposition, did not confirm when the regulatory impact assessment was going to be made available for public consideration. This is a vitally important document to understand the impact of such proposals that the Government are considering at the moment around nitrate vulnerable zones to be implemented here in Wales. Could I implore you to work with the Minister to make that document available to Members, so that we can understand exactly what the regulatory impact assessment is telling Ministers and the impact it will have, should these regulations be implemented across Wales, as proposed, before the Minister decided to have further consultations with the farming unions and other organisations?

I do take the sincerity with which the Government is entering into those discussions, but these are big decisions that are going to be made here on an all-Wales basis. And the Government's own panel, which it set up with the regulator, Natural Resources Wales, signing up to the report that that regulatory panel came up with, was for a voluntary approach on these matters that would seek to address the agricultural pollution incidents that the First Minister touched on.

I would draw the First Minister's attention to the fact that, over the last 20 years there has been no substantial increase in agricultural pollution across Wales. The barometer has been between 190 instances at its top mark and about 120 or 130 instances at its lowest mark. And of those instances, only 20 to 30 have been severe. Now, one is one too many—I accept that. But when you think of the discharge of Welsh Water, for example, in sewage pollution incidents that happen across Wales, and the action of the Government doesn't seem to want to take on those particular issues, this does seem to be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut here, when you already have a deal on the table that the regulator has signed up to, and the organisations came around the table, discussed this, debated it and came up with a proposal. I would implore the Welsh Government to go back to that document and actually work to that document, rather than bring these draconian proposals forward.