The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:41 pm on 10 March 2021.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 1:41, 10 March 2021

Well, the truth is, David Rowlands, that, as I say, there's £44.5 million of capital already been assigned to this, plus further funding for the next financial year, which obviously we can only do on a one-year basis because the Welsh Government only has a one-year budget from the UK Government. But I've always made it very clear that support would be available to the farming sector in relation to these. 

What you don't seem to understand is the regulations are targeted. We can't do it on specific areas because the number of agricultural pollution incidents we're seeing are all over Wales. But the regulations will be targeted, and the majority of farms are already coming up to that baseline requirement. This is about having that baseline requirement to improve and reduce the number of incidents, which I'm sure you will agree are an embarrassment to the agricultural sector.