Questions now from party spokespeople.

And first of all, Samuel Kurtz. 

Diolch, Llywydd, and firstly, can I start by wishing the Minister a very merry Christmas and by thanking her for the honest and open dialogue that she and I have had in respect of this portfolio? 

Minister, I've raised the issue of unspent and misspent rural development plan money in the Chamber on several occasions already, and I would like to focus on the 'free tree for every household' scheme announced to great fanfare on 6 December by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change. Given that funding for tree planting lies within your portfolio, you hold the purse strings, as it were. So, can you provide details about the cost of this scheme, whether this is new money or reallocated money, and, finally, can you provide reassurances that, if this is reallocated money, that it is not being taken away from supporting the agricultural industry?

Thank you, and I would like to wish Sam Kurtz and all Members a very peaceful and happy Christmas and best wishes for next year.

This actually sits, as you say, within the portfolio of the Minister for Climate Change and was announced by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change. I hold the purse strings for some, but not all, and the policy that you just referred to that was announced by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change sits within—the funding sits within his portfolio.

Thank you, Minister—thank you for that clarification.

I'm sure that you were as horrified as I was, Minister, when, earlier this week, BBC Wales, in a documentary of theirs, highlighted the cropping of bulldog puppy ears to increase the dogs' value to breeders and desirability to new owners. The documentary heard how puppies with cropped ears can sell for an additional £1,500, making this cruel practice a valuable enterprise to criminals. Whilst ear cropping is illegal in the UK, there is no law surrounding the right to import these animals into the UK. But, whilst accepting that importing animals is a reserved matter, you do have enforcement powers if these puppies are sold or owned by Welsh residents. Therefore, what actions are you taking, in partnership with the UK Government, to address this distressing form of animal abuse, and will you provide greater powers to the RSPCA to deal with animal cruelty?

Thank you. Yes, I was absolutely appalled to see the programme that you referred to. Ear cropping of dogs is illegal, it's unnecessary and I'm sure it's incredibly painful and there are no welfare or health benefits for the dog. It's carried out only, really, for cosmetic reasons, to make the dogs look tougher, and I just think it is absolutely abhorrent. 

The forthcoming Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill does seek to restrict the import of dogs. As you say, obviously, it's a UK Government Bill, but it does seek to restrict the import of dogs and puppies that have been subject to mutilations, and obviously that includes ear cropping. And I think restricting the importation of them will significantly then strengthen the ability of our enforcement officers to be able to identify such dogs more easily and prosecute those involved in illegal ear cropping in Wales and across the UK. So, we will continue to work with the UK Government, bringing forward a legislative consent motion in relation to this.

Thank you. And finally, Minister, I was pleased to lead the Welsh Conservatives' animal welfare debate last month, which saw the Government defeated and the motion pass unamended in the Senedd. The balanced and open-minded approach taken by all during the debate was welcome, and I hope that this can continue. 

I am aware of a letter that you have received from the Companion Animals Welfare Group Wales, which, whilst welcoming some aspects of your Government's animal welfare action plan, expressed concern over some of what was omitted. One such issue was the lack of any reference to the introduction of regulations on cat breeding. Can I seek your commitment today for the Welsh Government to put cat and dog breeding regulations on an equal footing and to ensure that kittens bred in Wales will be able to enjoy the same high levels of welfare and protection that is afforded to their canine counterparts?

Yes, absolutely. I'm looking at what we can do in relation to that, just as I'm looking at microchipping cats as well. And once I respond to the correspondence that Sam Kurtz refers to, I'll be very happy to share that.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Llyr Gruffydd.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, you'll be aware, of course, that a shortage of vets in Wales is still a problem for us here, and that's been exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic as well, of course. Now, the British Veterinary Association says that more vet school places are part of the answer, and the official opening last week of Aberystwyth University school of veterinary science is certainly to be welcomed. The veterinary students there, of course, will be spending just the first two years at Aberystwyth University, followed then by three years studying at the Royal Veterinary College's Hawkshead campus in Hertfordshire. Now, meanwhile, Scotland of course has two veterinary schools and England nine, all of them offering the full five-year courses leading to a full degree. So, do you agree with me, Minister, that if the shortage of vets in Wales is ever to be properly resolved, then Wales needs a full vet school, offering its own five-year degree courses? And if you do agree, and I trust that you do, will you therefore open discussions with Aberystwyth University, and the agricultural sector more widely, to consider how the Aberystwyth course can be rapidly developed into a full five-year course, with the necessary facilities, to help resolve the vet shortage that we have here in Wales?

Thank you. I think Llyr Huws Gruffydd makes a really important point about a shortage of vets. And I would add to the list that you've mentioned, in relation to leaving the European Union and Brexit, the avian influenza outbreak that, unfortunately, we have across the UK. We've now got 52 cases, and you can imagine the veterinary capacity that the AI outbreaks are taking also. I was very pleased to see Aberystwyth University—the veterinary school there—opened last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the opening, but I did visit there—I think it was in October—to have a look at it myself, and was very impressed. And I know Christianne Glossop, who I think has worked on ensuring that that happened over the last 18 years, was very pleased. And I do think it is a first step. I was due to meet with the Minister for education on Monday to see what more we could do to support Aber University in relation to this, but, unfortunately, I think the meeting is now next week. But I think it's something that should be explored, and I'll be very happy to update Members following the meeting I have with the Minister for education.

Thank you, Minister. I think it's important that we don't presume that it's 'job done', because, clearly, it's the beginning of a journey, and we'd like to see it pursued as swiftly as possible. Diolch.

Now, mental health support, of course, is also a crucial aspect of support for young people in the agricultural sector. In October, in response to a question from my Plaid Cymru colleague Cefin Campbell, you said that support for mental health charities within the farming sector is, and I'll quote,

'something I keep a very close eye on, and, if there's anything further I can do to help, I will certainly be happy to do so.'

Now, recently, at the winter fair, the DPJ Foundation raised concerns that, whilst they currently do get some support, of course, from the Welsh Government, there isn't that longer-term certainty of funding. And I know other rural mental health organisations would share the same concern. So, given your previous commitments on the floor of the Senedd, and of course ahead of the budget publication next week, could you maybe tell us whether you intend to introduce a long-term funding plan for mental health charities such as the DPJ Foundation?

Thank you. I met with the mental health charities in the agricultural sector at the winter fair myself, and it was representatives of, I think, about six of them, where we did discuss, obviously, the challenges they are—. You'll appreciate it's very hard to give long-term commitments—I'm not sure what you mean by 'long term'—but certainly I intend to continue to support them, both financially and also with officials' time as well, because my officials work very closely with them. And I attend—certainly, over the duration of the pandemic, I've attended many meetings of the group that came together under an umbrella to support our agriculture sector. So, I will continue, certainly, to do that. As I say, I'm unclear what you mean by 'long term', but I will certainly, in the course of our budget, commit to funding.

That's very welcome. I think 'longer term', I suppose, is a better description, maybe.

Again, developing on a theme of younger farmers, really, concerns have been raised with me recently by tenant farmers, particularly, and the Tenant Farmers Association, that younger farmers are facing difficulty in acquiring land under succession rules. Now, I'm aware, through casework, of situations where families have been unable to transfer the tenancy to their son or daughter because the son or daughter aren't able to make their living purely from the holding. You'll be very aware that more and more farms depend now on off-farm income to get by these days, and, in fact, many of those tenant holdings are of a size where making your living from it is probably near impossible in any case. So, it's clear to me that tenancy legislation in Wales isn't keeping up with changes in farming.

Now, I'm aware that the Welsh Government is yet to bring forward regulations to implement certain provisions of Schedule 3 to the UK Agriculture Act 2020 relating to tenant farms as they apply to Wales. Regulations were brought into effect in England, by the way, back in May of this year. So, can I ask: when do you intend to introduce regulations similar to those seen in England, so that we can change the current outdated suitability and commercial tests, making the law more fit for purpose, and, of course, ultimately making it easier to enable tenant succession?

Thank you. I'm not able to give you a specific time, because this is an ongoing piece of work. I did meet with the Tenant Farmers Association at the winter fair, again—I took the opportunity to meet with quite a few people face to face last month—and I agree with you; I think there are lots of issues with tenant farmers that you don't get with, obviously, farmers that own the land themselves, and I think it's really important that we get it right. So, it's not just looking at one piece of the legislation; it's looking at all of it in a holistic way. So, I know officials continue to meet. I'm expecting further advice, probably—well, it will be in the new year, but I don't know how quickly in the new year. But, again, once we have some further information, I'll be very happy to share it with you.