6. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve water quality? OQ58424

Thank you. Improving water quality is a priority for this Government. We are taking a long-term, integrated catchment approach focusing on multi-sector co-operation and nature-based solutions to drive improvement. Investment, such as metal mine remediation programme, legislative drivers, such as the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) Regulations 2021, and a robust regulatory framework will help drive improvement across all our water bodies.

Thank you for your reply, Trefnydd.

The end of August saw sewage dumped into the water at Wiseman's Bridge in my constituency, resulting in the bathing water directive finding the water quality unacceptable. This pollution incident was one of a number across the south Pembrokeshire coast. Incidents such as this are often caused by combined sewage overflows, or CSOs. With water quality a fully devolved matter, completely within the control of this Welsh Government, what immediate action is your Government taking to ensure that bathers can swim in clean waters next summer?

Reducing impacts from storm overflows is absolutely a priority, and we need a cross-sectoral holistic approach to achieve that. What we are doing as a Government is focusing on sustainable, nature-based solutions to divert as much surface water away from the sewerage systems as possible. Reducing the number of CSO spills is but one of the levers that are needed to improve the quality of our rivers, and we've been very clear, and I set out in my opening answer to you, of all the things we’re doing to tackle that. Water companies now have to publish detailed information showing the length, duration and location of storm overflow discharges, and I think that's a good thing, because I think it's led to public awareness and more interest in it.

Minister, I was very grateful to hear that the First Minister reaffirmed the Welsh Government's commitment to the moratorium on fracking here in Wales. It shows the Welsh Labour Government's commitment and dedication to building a sustainable future, whilst protecting the health and properties of people in Wales. Unfortunately, border communities, like the ones I represent in north Wales, could still be impacted by fracking. In particular, contamination of the water quality is a serious threat. What representations will be made to the UK Government regarding concerns about water protection from fracking here in Wales?

Thank you. Well, the Welsh Government's made it very clear that fracking will not take place in Wales, and any fracking that takes places in England, if it crosses over the Welsh border, that would require a Welsh petroleum licence, planning and also environmental permits. And, obviously, we wouldn’t grant any licences that enabled this.

Water quality in Wales is continuously monitored, and, it if becomes evident that that fracking has any impact on this, we would expect the UK Government to act in accordance with regulations that were signed—I think it was probably about five years ago now—between the Welsh Government and the UK Government. We have an inter-governmental protocol. Because that was there—. That was put there to make sure there was no serious, adverse impact on our water resources, water supply or our water quality in England arising from any action or inaction.

In 2015, the UK environment Secretary, Liz Truss, boasted of cutting 34,000 farm inspections. It effectively allowed farmers in England to dump waste like pesticide and animal faeces directly into rivers, including the Wye valley, where research by Lancaster University found there were 3,000 tonnes of excess phosphorus, caused by agriculture, seeping into the valley's waterways. Do you agree with me, First Minister, that this gross negligence and its legacy of pollution that lapped at our shores this summer underlines why the Welsh Government was absolutely right to take an all-Wales approach to legislate against agricultural pollution? And are you able to update us on how the £40 million that your Government is investing over the next three years to tackle this issue will be targeted?

Thank you. Well, unfortunately, as you know, I didn't really want to bring those regulations forward. I don't think anybody likes being told what to do. But the voluntary approach hadn't worked, and I do think it was important we brought those regulations forward, which target activity known to cause pollution, wherever it takes place. So, I think that all-Wales approach is about a preventative action and not waiting for our water bodies to fail. 

You asked specifically around the £40 million that we gave, I think over the next three years, to address other causes of water quality problems across Wales, and that funding is being used—again, I mentioned it in my opening answer to Sam Kurtz—in relation to remediating metal mines and restoring modifications to waterways.