7. Debate on the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee Report: Annual Report on Natural Resources Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:15 pm on 22 June 2022.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 4:15, 22 June 2022

We expect that baseline review, the SLA part of that baseline review, to conclude before the end of this calendar year, just to be clear—so, not financial year. And then, we will be working with NRW to look at your recommendation 4,

'ensure that funding for NRW is commensurate with its roles and responsibilities', along with the committee's expectation of seeing an appropriate increase in funding. I just want to be really clear that, with any increase in funding, I would want to know exactly what that was going to get spent on, how it was going to be allocated and why the costs were as they were. Then, in terms of recommendation 5 of the report, 

'provide further information to the Committee on discussions she is having with NRW about how its funding model might change in the light of the baseline review',

I'm very happy to keep the committee informed on those discussions. We're looking at different funding models for NRW, allowing them to plan, prepare and deliver more effectively over the longer term. One of the things that the officials are looking at is whether or not the Government can baseline grant funding, so that, instead of applying for one-off yearly grants for particular priorities, they can get put into the core funding and then have longer to plan.

And then, Llywydd, just to try your patience for one second longer, we're looking again to review where the income from windfarms and from the woodland estate goes, which I know I discussed with the committee at some length when I was actually appearing. So, we accept either completely or in principle the recommendations made for us. Where it's in principle, it's because we're already doing it, but perhaps with a slightly different methodology than the committee recommended. But I'm more than happy to share all of that work and the responses and updates with the committee in due course. Diolch.