Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 3 February 2021.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 1:37, 3 February 2021

I do find it strange that Janet Finch-Saunders talks up her environmental credentials on one hand and then just puts them to one side when it comes to the agricultural sector. Why would you condone three agricultural pollution incidents every week, week after week, month after month, year after year? I am aware that I laid the draft regulations last April, and I pledged to continue to work with the agricultural sector, as I've done for the last five years, to come forward with improvements to those incidents. You will remember that I worked particularly with NFU Cymru to bring forward a voluntary scheme. It's always much better if you can do things on a voluntary basis. But, I'm afraid, that's failed. So, I laid the draft regulations last April. I said I wouldn't bring them into force straight away and, whilst, of course, we are still in the COVID-19 pandemic, we are in a different place. We are looking to a green recovery, and the agricultural sector are very much part of that green recovery. They want to be part of that green recovery—they tell me that and I will work with them to do that. 

I also thought it was important to wait until the EU transition had happened and to see what it would be like coming out of Europe. The market is buoyant. That is another reason why I think the sector are able to cope with these regulations at the moment.