Meetings
NDM6989 Welsh Conservatives debate - Natural Resources Wales
This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.
Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.
Meeting: 13/03/2019 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd (Item 7)
Welsh Conservatives debate - Natural Resources Wales
NDM6989 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the National Assembly for
Wales;
1. Notes the Welsh Government’s decision to
merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and the
Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
in 2013.
2. Recognises the hard work of frontline
staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction and lack of
confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as regularly expressed
in staff surveys since NRW’s inception.
3. Regrets that NRW has systematically
failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile scandals,
including:
a) serious failings in the handling of
timber contracts which auditors, Grant Thornton, stated were so bad they
"heightened exposure to the risk of fraud";
b) the ‘qualification’ of the
organisation’s accounts by the Wales Audit Office for three years running,
indicating that there were questions over whether the organisation had acted
within the rules;
c) the contradictory approach led by NRW
when deciding to intervene on matters of public interest such as shooting on
public land and nuclear mud dumping.
4. Calls on the Welsh Government to
instigate an independent review/inquiry into the organisation’s failings and to
investigate alternative proposals for the management of the natural resources
of Wales.
Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of
Timber Sales - 3 February 2019
Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts
2015-16
Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts
2016-17
Natural Resources Wales - Annual Report and Accounts
2017-18
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)
Delete points 3 and 4 replace with new points:
Notes the findings and recommendations of the
reports by:
a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee
inquiry into NRW’s annual report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018;
b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales -
Governance of Timber Sales - February 2019.
Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive
and interim chair of NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations
of the two reports and improve the management and governance of NRW.
Public Accounts
Committee - Natural Resources Wales
Scrutiny of
Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 – November 2018
[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and
3 will be de-selected]
Amendment 2 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
In point 3, replace “Regrets that NRW has
systematically failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile
scandals” with “Regrets the series of high profile failures in NRW”.
Amendment 3 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
Delete point 4 and replace with:
Calls on the Welsh Government to establish an independent
review to ascertain whether it is still appropriate for NRW to continue to
manage the commercial forest estate in Wales and consider any potential
alternative models.
Amendment 4 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that NRW is
properly resourced to adequately fulfil all of its duties.
Minutes:
The item started at 17.13
Voting on the motion and
amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.
A vote was taken on the
motion without amendment:
NDM6989 Darren
Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the
National Assembly for Wales;
1. Notes the Welsh
Government’s decision to merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment
Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) in 2013.
2. Recognises the hard work
of frontline staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction
and lack of confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as
regularly expressed in staff surveys since NRW’s inception.
3. Regrets that NRW has
systematically failed the people of Wales through a number of high-profile
scandals, including:
a) serious failings in the
handling of timber contracts which auditors, Grant Thornton, stated were so bad
they "heightened exposure to the risk of fraud";
b) the ‘qualification’ of
the organisation’s accounts by the Wales Audit Office for three years running,
indicating that there were questions over whether the organisation had acted
within the rules;
c) the contradictory
approach led by NRW when deciding to intervene on matters of public interest
such as shooting on public land and nuclear mud dumping.
4. Calls on the Welsh
Government to instigate an independent review/inquiry into the organisation’s
failings and to investigate alternative proposals for the management of the
natural resources of Wales.
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
13 |
0 |
34 |
47 |
The motion without
amendment was not agreed.
The following amendments
were tabled:
Amendment 1 - Rebecca Evans (Gower)
Delete points 3 and 4 replace with new points:
Notes the findings and recommendations of the reports by:
a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee inquiry into NRW’s annual
report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018;
b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of Timber Sales
- February 2019.
Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive and interim chair of
NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations of the two reports
and improve the management and governance of NRW.
A vote was taken on amendment 1:
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
27 |
0 |
21 |
48 |
Amendment 1 was agreed.
As Amendment 1 was agreed, amendments 2 and 3 were de-selected.
Amendment 4 - Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that
NRW is properly resourced to adequately fulfil all of its duties.
A vote was taken on amendment 4:
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
21 |
0 |
27 |
48 |
Amendment 4 was not agreed.
A vote was taken on the
motion as amended:
NDM6989 Darren
Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the
National Assembly for Wales;
1. Notes the Welsh
Government’s decision to merge the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment
Agency Wales, and the Forestry Commission Wales with the formation of Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) in 2013.
2. Recognises the hard work
of frontline staff in the organisation but acknowledges their dissatisfaction
and lack of confidence in the decisions taken by senior management, as
regularly expressed in staff surveys since NRW’s inception.
3. Notes the findings and recommendations of the reports by:
a) National Assembly Public Accounts Committee inquiry into NRW’s annual
report and accounts 2017-2018 – November 2018;
b) Grant Thornton - Natural Resources Wales - Governance of Timber Sales
- February 2019.
4. Welcomes the appointment of a new chief executive and interim chair
of NRW and their commitment to implement the recommendations of the two reports
and improve the management and governance of NRW.
|
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
|
27 |
0 |
21 |
48 |
The motion as amended was
agreed.