The Agriculture Bill

Part of 3. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:07 pm on 24 June 2020.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 1:07, 24 June 2020

I agree with everybody—with Rhun particularly—that the Agriculture Bill must include legal guarantees that animal welfare environmental standards won't be cut in post-Brexit trade deals with the USA, or anybody else for that matter.

We've all seen the headlines about chlorinated chicken, but we've got issues with chicken farms in Wales, specifically in Powys, with the council just granting permission for four more farms and saying that there won't be a moratorium on planning applications. I find it particularly concerning that, in January, all planning applications that require an environmental impact assessment in Powys will be determined by just one planning officer, not the council's planning committee. National Resources Wales has previously expressed concerns about the accumulative environmental impact of chicken farms on ancient woodlands and ground water, and I've raised this issue many times myself. So, can I ask you, Minister, if you would look at the situation in Powys and assess the need for planning applications to take account of existing farms and the burden on the local environment and the community?