Concise Minutes - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee room 5 – Ty Hywel

and Video Conference via Zoom

Meeting date: Thursday, 22 February 2024

Meeting time: 09.30 - 12.20
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/13697

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Paul Davies MS (Chair) Luke Fletcher MS Samuel Kurtz MS
Witnesses:	Ben Cottam, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Dominic Hampson-Smith, Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Elaine Harrison, Confor Hywel Morgan, Nature Friendly Farming Network Abi Reader, National Farmers‘ Union Cymru Arfon Williams, RSPB
Committee Staff:	Rob Donovan, Clerk Evan Jones, Deputy Clerk Ceri Thomas, Committee Support Officer Katy Orford, Researcher Ben Stokes, Researcher

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.2 Samuel Kurtz MS declared he is a member of the British Veterinary Association.

1.3 Apologies were received from Paul Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer of Chambers Wales.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Papers to note

2.1     The Committee noted the papers.

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1 The Biocidal Products (Health and Safety) (Amendment and Transitional Provision etc.) Regulations 2024

</AI3>

<AI4>

2.2 The Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) (Wales) Order 2024

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.3 Hybu Cig Cymru

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.4 Legislative Consent: Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill

</AI6>

<AI7>

2.5 Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee meeting - 7 February 2024: Follow up questions for UK Government Minister of State

</AI7>

<AI8>

3 Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 1 - Stakeholders

3.1     The Committee heard evidence from the panel on Farming Connect.

</AI8>

<AI9>

4 Inquiry: Farming Connect: Panel 2 - Stakeholders

4.1     The Committee heard evidence from the panel on Farming Connect.

4.2     Confor agreed to write to the Committee to provide further detail on how Confor and Farming Connect might complement each other in terms of the woodland elements of the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

</AI9>

<AI10>

5 Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 2 - Welsh Business Perspective

5.1     The Committee heard evidence from the Federation of Small Businesses Wales on the Development Bank of Wales.

</AI10>

<AI11>

6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting

6.1     The Motion to exclude the public for the remainder of the meeting was agreed.

</AI11>

<AI12>

7 Consideration of evidence following the meeting

7.1     The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI12>

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