8. What representations has the Welsh Government made to the UK Government about the impact on Welsh farming of the delayed introduction of European Union import checks? OQ58277

Thank you. Well, immediately following the UK Government’s announcement to delay and redesign import controls I wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Yesterday, I had a further meeting with the UK Government's Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food and my Scottish counterpart, and I will chair further discussions next month at our inter-ministerial group.

Thank you, Minister. The Welsh Government have been correct to identify the continued delays to the introduction of European Union import checks, which are a risk to our collective biosecurity. The risk is intensified with the lack of access to European Union traceability, disease notification and the emergency response systems. The protection of biosecurity is a devolved matter, but obviously it is a commonsense approach that a UK-wide approach to this is adopted, with the UK Treasury funding any expenditure required on border controls. So, what further dialogue and assurances will the Welsh Government be seeking from the UK Government to ensure that Welsh farming interests are protected in the longer term?

I don't disagree with anything you said. I think this is now becoming very, very urgent, and I made that very clear to Victoria Prentis at the meeting last night. I also made it very clear that whilst—. I think we're on the same page with DEFRA on this, really, and the Scottish Government; we do want to see a UK-wide policy. But I made it very clear that they should not take our support for granted. If we see it and we're not happy with it, we will go on our own. As you say, it is a devolved area, and I am very concerned that these checks need to be carried out, because I go back to what we were saying about Ukrainian pets in my answer to Sam Rowlands—it's really important that we safeguard the public health of both people and animals here in Wales. This is the third delay now, and we've had to stop the design of our border control posts and, okay, we've started it again now, but have we got assurance about money? No, we haven't. So, I made it very clear again to DEFRA last night that we need the Treasury to come forward. You'll be aware my colleague Vaughan Gething, the Minister for Economy, made a statement yesterday in the Siambr on border control posts; I'm working very closely with him. But there is such uncertainty around what we should be preparing for, and what those border control posts should look like. Biosecurity, for me, is one of the most important parts of my portfolio.

I thank the Minister.