Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:57 pm on 15 November 2022.
Yes, absolutely, John. I was delighted to come along to one of the meetings, and I know that you've been working very hard there on the Gwent levels, which are a real green lung for the conurbation around them—very, very important for all kinds of biodiverse reasons, but, actually, very important for humans as well: they literally produce the air that we breathe. So, it's an important treasure that we really must do something about.
There are a number of rules and regulations that I haven't had time in this statement to mention. Under the water framework directive, for example, Natural Resources Wales is required to monitor surface and ground water quality, and collect chemical, physical and biological data to classify water bodies. The directive promotes an integrated, holistic approach to water management based on river basins, the natural geographical and hydrological units. So, I can assure your constituents and the people of the surrounding towns and villages there that NRW is monitoring a lot of that.
There is a complexity, though, about who is responsible for some of the enforcement. We have three current reviews looking at that. We have a review that's part of the co-operation agreement into section 19 and winter flood reports; we have a review being done by our coast and water management committee into the regulatory framework; and we have another internal review going on, because, as a result of the way that leaving the European Union has meant that we've taken some of those regulations back in house, we need to have a review about whether they're best placed with us, with local authorities, or with NRW, or, indeed, with the water companies. So, there are three separate reviews currently going on, and at some point we'll bring them together to give some clarity. In the meantime, John, if you want to write to me about specific instances, I'll be able to point you at the right regulator for the particular example that you're giving.