Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:42 pm on 3 February 2021.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 1:42, 3 February 2021

Thank you, Minister. What your answer there tells me is that it's not the farmers who've failed; it's 20 years of the Welsh Labour Government who've been unable to work more beneficially for farmers, to work with them to support them, rather than these horrendous restrictions. So severe are they that in addition to being like a criminal electronic tag for farmers, they do come despite the fact that the total income from farming in the UK is expected to be down by around 21 per cent. In fact, your own regulatory impact assessment has calculated that the upfront capital cost could run to £360 million. How on earth do you expect our hardworking farmers to find that, and when the latest total income from farming in Wales was just £261 million? So, will you confirm that the £13 million being made available this year to assist with water quality and farm nutrient management infrastructure is merely a drop of slurry in a very large pit? Can you explain how you believe the industry can afford investment on this grand scale that you expect, and what assessment you've even made of the number of farm businesses, including those tenant farmers, that will now be forced to maybe shut down their operations as a result of these severe and uncompromising regulations? Diolch, Llywydd.