|
Environment and Sustainability Committee |
|
Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 3 - Senedd |
|
|
||
|
|
|
||||
|
Meeting date: |
Wednesday, 17 September 2014 |
|
|||
|
|
|
||||
|
Meeting time: |
09.15 - 12.30 |
|
|||
|
|
|
||||
|
This meeting can be viewed on Senedd
TV at: |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
Concise Minutes: MeetingTitle |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Assembly Members: |
|
Alun Ffred Jones AM (Chair) Mick Antoniw AM Russell George AM Llyr Gruffydd AM Julie Morgan AM William Powell AM Antoinette Sandbach AM Joyce Watson AM Jeff Cuthbert AM (In place of Gwyn R Price AM) Jenny Rathbone AM |
|||
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Witnesses: |
|
Rebecca Evans AM, The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food Carl Sargeant AM, The Minister for Natural Resources Andrew Slade, Welsh Government Prys Davies, Energy, Water and Flood Division Christianne Glossop, Chief Veterinary Officer, Welsh Government Matthew Quinn, Welsh Government |
|||
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Committee Staff: |
|
Alun Davidson (Clerk) Adam Vaughan (Deputy Clerk) Elfyn Henderson (Researcher) |
|||
|
|
|
||||
Transcript
View the meeting transcript.
1 Introductions, apologies and substitutions
1.1 Apologies were received from Gwyn Price and from Julie James due to her appointment as a Deputy Minister. Jeff Cuthbert and Jenny Rathbone attended as substitutes.
2 Scrutiny of the Minister for Natural Resources
2.1 The Minister and officials responded to questions from members of the Committee.
2.2 The Minister agreed to:
· Write to the Committee to provide a comprehensive note on the biodiversity policy agenda.
· Consider publishing the report of the audit undertaken into biodiversity actions carried out by Government departments.
· Consider providing the Committee with the key performance indicators/bassline data that will be used to measure the outcomes of the Nature Recovery Plan.
· Write to the Committee with further informatiom on the points raised by Committee members regarding shale gas/fracking.
· Consider making an updated statement on the Government’s position on shale gas/fracking.
· Provide the Committee with the flowchart used by Government relating to the planning processes surrounding fracking.
· Write to the Committee with an update on the Ynni’r Fro programme, where figures are available.
· Write to the Committee to provide clarification on Crown exemption relating to Natural Resources Wales.
· Write to the Committee detailing the date the Water Strategy will be published, and to be provide a note on the progress of the five recommendations which were accepted in principle.
3 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for items 4 and 5
3.1 The Committee agreed the motion.
5 The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Bill: Preparation for Committee's Consideration
5.1 The Committee held a seminar in preparation for its consideration of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Bill.
6 Scrutiny of the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food
The Deputy Minister and officials responded to questions from members of the Committee.
6.1 The Deputy Minister agreed to share the Cymorth TB report with the Committee.
The Deputy Minister agreed to write to the Committee to clarify the Government’s position on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in relation to the new Greening requirements.
6.2 The Deputy Minister agreed to provide the Committee with an update on the dairy sector.
7 Papers to note
Proposal from the European Commission on drift nets: Response from the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries to the letter from the Chair on 24 June.
7.1 The Committee noted the Welsh Government’s response.
Inquiry into recycling in Wales: Further information from WRAP Cymru.
7.2 The Committee noted the paper.
Infrastructure Bill LCM: Response from the Minister for Natural Resources, Culture and Sport to the letter from the Chair on 21 July.
7.3 The Committee noted the Welsh Government’s response.
Water policy in Wales: Letter from the Minister for Natural Resources, Culture and Sport to the Chair.
7.4 The Committee noted the letter.
Inquiry into the Welsh Government’s proposals for the M4 around Newport: Response from the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport to the report published on 21 July.
7.5 The Committee noted the Welsh Government’s response.
Inquiry into energy efficiency and fuel poverty in Wales: Further information from Citizens Advice Cymru.
7.6 The Committee noted the paper.
Inquiry into coastal protection: Response from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration to the letter from the Chair on 16 June.
7.7 The Committee noted the Welsh Government’s response.