2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:37 pm on 5 October 2021.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 2:37, 5 October 2021

Could I ask for a debate, rather than a statement, on the availability of free banking for charities and community groups? Unfortunately, HSBC is the latest of the banks to take the money and run, and they'll be introducing charges for the Women's Institute, local scouts and girl guides groups, local sports clubs, and others, from the end of this month. It's a really important thing for some groups, who have had such a hard time coming through the pandemic, now to find that they're going to be facing charges. So, we need to signal to them how we can still continue to provide free banking services for them.

Could we also have a statement in response to many constituents who have written to me on the state of our rivers? And I declare an interest as the Senedd's salmon champion for the next five years. But they've written to me particularly on the issue of the Wye river, and what they see as the real dangers here that we are stripping life out of that river for invertebrates, for fish, and for other wildlife, and for that amazing habitat that it provides. And they draw a particular reference, I have to say, to the phosphate production now from Powys being, frankly, Europe's largest producer of free-range eggs within the whole of Europe. It's adding the equivalent of 2,000 tonnes now of phosphates across the whole water catchment area in the Wye, and it's of course affecting every constituency down. It's not the only pollutant, by the way, in that area, but it does of course have a major impact.

And could we finally have a statement on the charging of electric vehicles where there is no kerbside parking, no community hub charging, and no off-kerb parking in your own driveway? I've got people who live in terrace houses who are now asking is it legal to run a cable across the pavement. Some local authorities actually have a blanket 'no' to this; others have no policy whatsoever. It would be great to have a statement to give clarity. Thank you, Llywydd.