Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 10 January 2023.
Two statements, if I may, Llywydd. Further to written correspondence from yourself, Minister, I request a statement on Natural Resources Wales's astonishing increases in regulatory fees and charges. As you will know, the proposed charge for the disposal of sheep dip is set to rise tenfold, with NRW providing no evidence to underpin this increase. Also, the charge for standard rules permits for on-farm anaerobic digestion is set to double, and water resources fees are set to increase from £135 to over £6,000—a percentage increase of over 4,500 per cent.
What is missing from these price increases is transparency as to how these figures were calculated. Is NRW looking to make a profit from fees and charges, or are they cost-neutral? The unintended consequences of these charges will curb the advancement of new tech, hinder the industry's delivery of net zero and significantly impact animal health. Given these concerns and those of the agricultural sector, an oral or written statement on this matter would be much appreciated.
Secondly, noting Welsh Government business tabled up until February 7, the annual bovine TB eradication statement still has yet to be tabled. Therefore, I would like to reiterate my call from November for an updated statement on the Welsh Government's bovine TB eradication programme. Diolch.