Concise Minutes - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee room 5 - Tŷ Hywel

and video conference via Zoom

Meeting date: Thursday, 15 May 2025

Meeting time: 09.33 - 14.05
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15091

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Andrew RT Davies MS (Chair) Hannah Blythyn MS Hefin David MS Samuel Kurtz MS Jenny Rathbone MS Siân Gwenllian MS
Witnesses:	Andrew Chambers, Welsh Government Rhys Evans, Nature Friendly Farming Network Ellen Fay, Sustainable Soils Alliance Teleri Fielden, Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Naomi Matthiessen, Welsh Government Fraser Mcauley, CLA Abi Reader, National Farmers' Union (NFU) Cymru Andrew Tuddenham, Soil Association James Cooke, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Robert Donovan (Clerk) Nicole Haylor-Mott (Deputy Clerk) Katy Orford (Researcher) Gareth Howells

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest

1.1     The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.2     Apologies were received from Hannah Blythyn MS in relation to items 1,2 and 3, joining the meeting from item 4 onwards.

1.3     Apologies were also received from Luke Fletcher MS. Siân Gwenllian MS attended as a substitute for items 1 and 2.

1.4     Under SO 17.24A, Andrew RT Davies MS and Samuel Kurtz MS declared an interest.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Soil Health in Agriculture: Panel 2

2.1     The Committee heard evidence from Andrew Tuddenham (Soil Association Cymru), Rhys Evans (Nature Friendly Farming Network), and Ellen Fay (Sustainable Soils Alliance).

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Soil Health in Agriculture: Panel 3

3.1     The Committee heard evidence from Abi Reader (NFU Cymru), Teleri Fielden (Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW)), and Fraser McAuley (Country Land and Business Association (CLA)).

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Soil Health in Agriculture: Panel 4

4.1     The Committee heard evidence from Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Welsh Government.

4.2     The Committee agreed to follow-up several points raised during the session with the Cabinet Secretary in written correspondence.

</AI4>

<AI5>

5 Papers to note

5.1     The Committee noted the papers.

5.1     The Committee agreed to write to Welsh Government in relation to item 5.1.

</AI5>

<AI6>

5.1 Official Controls (Extension of Transitional Periods) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

</AI6>

<AI7>

5.2 Request for economic impact assessment of proposed closures in languages and cultures at Cardiff University

</AI7>

<AI8>

5.3 UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly

</AI8>

<AI9>

5.4 Meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group on UK-EU relations

</AI9>

<AI10>

5.5 Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Work and Pensions and Welsh Government - Delivery of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer in Wales (“The Trailblazer”)

</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 Committee agreed the motion to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting.

</AI11>

<AI12>

7 Consideration of evidence following the meeting

7.1     The Committee discussed the evidence heard during items 2,3 and 4.

</AI12>

<AI13>

8 Apprenticeship Pathways: Key issues discussion

8.1     The Committee discussed the key issues paper, and agreed to move forward with drafting the report.

</AI13>

<AI14>

9 Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum: Product Regulation and Metrology Bill

9.1     The Committee considered the legal advice note, and agreed to write to the Business Committee regarding the reporting deadline for the SLCM.

</AI14>

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