Politics

Criticism of Labour’s water pollution policy grow

Published

4 years ago

March 15, 2021

JANET FINCH-SAUNDERS MS – the Shadow Environment and Rural Affairs Minister – has backed a call from rural economy agency Country Land and Business Association (CLA) Cymru for a targeted response to water pollution in Wales.

Last week, a motion to annul the regulations narrowly failed to pass after Labour used its bloc vote.

Labour has twice voted against rescinding the Welsh Government’s NVZ policy and used a procedural ruse to ram the legislation through without scrutiny.

Among those aiding and abetting Labour was the outgoing MS for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Dafydd Elis Thomas. He was joined by Caroline Jones, formerly of UKIP, who is odds-on to lose her regional seat at May’s election. Education Minister Kirsty Williams, the Senedd’s sole Liberal Democrat MS, did not vote at all, not even to abstain.

Despite notionally representing a rural area of Wales, Eluned Morgan and Joyce Watson backed the controversial rules, which could drive Pembrokeshire’s small local dairy farmers out of business.

RIGHT OBJECTIVE WRONG METHOD

Fraser McAuley, CLA Policy Advisor, said: “The Government’s laudable objectives can be better met by an approach which focuses attention where it’s most needed. Where a problem doesn’t exist, we should not be imposing unnecessary costs on a hard-pressed sector in a future of uncertainty.

“The crude closed-periods for nutrient-spreading will do everything to encourage more intense spreading in the open-periods. This limits farmers’ capacity to choose the right ground-conditions to add nutrient. In some instances, this could make matters worse!”

Mr McAuley continued: “We really don’t believe the Welsh Government has allocated sufficient resource to do the job. We will be pressing-hard for more capital support through the Farm Business and Sustainable Production Grants. Penalising hard-stretched farmers will lead to more departures from the business by small operators. The livelihood of many small family farms is at-stake.

“We’ve got a great opportunity to get this right in the White Paper on Agriculture. Here, we can create a solution that fits into the big picture: creating a prosperous farming sector based on sustainable land management principles. This is the real goal.”

WG HASN’T LISTENED TO THE SCIENCE

Janet Finch-Saunder said: “CLA Cymru is bang on the money here over Labour’s unfair stance on nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZ).

“As Welsh Conservatives have repeatedly said, a blanket NVZ policy discriminates against farmers who are abiding by the regulations. A targeted approach focused on where it’s most needed means resources can be better and more efficiently applied.

“Unlike Labour, which is peddling a myth that the voluntary approach has failed, I would look to back the Blue Flag Farming approach. We should pursue the Water Standard and work to deliver on the 45 recommendations by the Wales Land Management Forum Sub-Group on agricultural pollution., They have been entirely ignored by the Welsh Government.

“The pandemic hasn’t helped, but farmers in Wales have had a tough time under Labour. Imposing unnecessary costs on this vital sector of the Welsh economy helps no-one and won’t solve the problem.”

Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies said: “These excessive and disproportionate proposals will have a massive impact on the viability of many farms across Wales. Even then, Natural Resources Wales has warned that the proposed new rules will have the perverse outcome of making water quality worse.

“The regulations will threaten the sustainability of many farms in Pembrokeshire and have a serious impact on farmers’ mental health. And they will do this while there is still no clear evidence that this action will actually deliver the improvements in water quality that they have set out to achieve.”

‘CULTURE WAR’

Carmarthen East & Dinefwr’s MP, Jonathan Edwards, went further and accused the Welsh Government of stoking a ‘culture war’ between farmers and the environmental lobby for electoral advantage.

Mr Edwards said: “There is nothing new surrounding issues of slurry management. I am, therefore, baffled as to why the Labour Government are so intent on bringing forward this poorly thought out measure a month before an election.

“Creating an all-Wales NVZ seems completely ham-fisted. A more subtle policy would have concentrated on problematic geographical areas instead of a blanket all-Wales policy.
“The Labour Government have also failed to consider the emergence of innovative slurry management technology.

“Coleg Sir Gar Gelli Aur campus has been working on a dewatering and purification system for slurry resulting in zero waste. The Labour Government should be using its environmental budget to help the industry make the transition to the use of new technology.”

Jonathan Edwards concluded: “Unfortunately, the Labour Government have decided to engage in the politics of culture war. Its creating division between farmers and the environmental lobby instead of working collaboratively on areas of mutual interest.

“Instead of using farmers as a political football, the Labour Government should be working with our agricultural sector. Its members are already having to contend with the huge challenges created by the Tory British Government’s Brexit policy.”

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Cris Tomos, said: “It is concerning that the Labour Welsh Government continues to ignore farmers and the farming unions.
“These regulations could be detrimental to the farming community, especially to the Welsh family farm.

“The Labour Welsh Government should be making every effort to work with farmers.”

Cris Tomos added: “It is also concerning that, on the one hand, Labour has pledged to fulfil its ‘One Million Welsh Speakers’ promise, and on the other, it continues to betray the industry with one of the highest rates of Welsh speakers.”

A TIGHT TIMETABLE

If Labour intends to plough on with its legislation, it really has to get its skates on.

The Senedd term ends soon. After that point, Labour will not be able to lay its new regulations.

It has not even published them yet. And that leaves farmers in limbo.

Farmers will not know the detail of the divisive and costly new rules until days before they are due to come into force.

How the Welsh Government can ask a regulator to enforce those rules without a lengthy lead-in is something the Welsh Government has not set out. It has also provided no extra funding to its environment watchdog, NRW, to deal with the rules’ impact and enforcement.

‘GREEN’ CREDENTIALS

Having promised a Clean Air Act for Wales in its 2016 manifesto, it is nowhere near bringing any such legislation forward. It appears it’s more in the presentation and consultation than in the statute book.

Labour Senedd members and ministers who have been remarkably silent on agriculture for the last five years now express a deep and abiding interest in the topic.
As Jonathan Edwards notes above: you’d think there was an election coming.

In contrast to its green branding, Labour withdrew business rates support from small hydropower businesses. It claimed the cost of rates relief to them could not be afforded due to the Covid pandemic. It saved under £1m.

Regardless of when the Welsh Government publishes its regulations, it faces a potential legal challenge from NFU-Cymru. NFU-Cymru says the Welsh Government failed to follow its own rules on the rules’ impact before forcing them through the Senedd.

Labour ministers pressed on without knowing what would happen in practice or, worse, simply turned a blind eye to the consequences. They also ignored the Impact Assessment of the Welsh Government’s own regulator.

Meanwhile, Labour’s Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, broke repeated promises made to the Senedd and farming unions about the regulations’ introduction during the pandemic.

Unfunded, unenforceable rules of unknown impact are unlikely to achieve their aim: that’s not a compelling legislative legacy.
Suppose Labour cannot form a majority government propped up by votes from individuals like Dafydd Elis Thomas. In that case, it will need to haggle over its future plans or face legislative deadlock.

Anyone would think there was an election coming.

Charity

Kurtz goes Jurassic as Pantosaurus visits Senedd NSPCC Campaign

Published

2 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Richard Lewis

THIS WEEK, the NSPCC’s annual campaign to safeguard children from sexual abuse reached the steps of the Senedd.

Pantosaurus, the friendly mascot of the NSPCC’s PANTS campaign, appeared to raise awareness among Members of the Senedd and the wider public about the vital importance of child safety. The campaign encourages parents and carers to talk openly with young children about risks and protective measures.

The PANTS campaign is built around five key child protection messages:

Privates are private.
Always remember your body belongs to you.
No means no.
Talk about secrets that upset you.
Speak up; someone can help.

After meeting Pantosaurus, Samuel Kurtz MS, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, expressed his support for the campaign

He said: “I wholeheartedly support this important NSPCC initiative. Since its launch in 2013, it has empowered over six million families to discuss this sensitive subject.

“This issue affects communities across Wales, so promoting the five principles of PANTS is essential for everyone in Pembrokeshire and beyond.”

Farming

Welsh Government could overturn Ceredigion cattle breeder’s house plans

Published

2 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CEREDIGION councillor-backed scheme by one of the top breeders of Limousin cattle in the UK to build a home near Lampeter could be overturned following a call for it to be decided by Welsh Government, planners heard.

At the October meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, the application, by Mr and Mrs Dylan Davies for a four-bedroom rural enterprise workers’ dwelling at Blaenffynnon, Llanwnnen, Lampeter, where they run a calving and cattle rearing business, was backed despite an officer recommendation for refusal.

One of the issues in the report for members was the financial test of whether the scheme was affordable, based on an estimate the building would cost some £292,000 to construct; at a 25-year mortgage amounting to £20,400 a year.

The size of the proposed building – which the applicants say include a need to entertain and occasionally accommodate clients – was also given as a reason for failing the TAN6 policy test, being larger than affordable housing guidance, at 202 square metres rather than a maximum of 136.

Members have previously heard the applicant breeds high-value show cattle for embryo transplanting at the well-established business, with one bull alone selling for £32,000 last year.

It had previously been recommended for refusal at the September meeting, but was deferred for a ‘cooling-off’ period to seek further details along with potential changes to the size of the scheme.

At the October meeting, members backed approval despite officers saying the size proposed could actually include a two-person bungalow in addition to the normal maximal ‘affordable’ size.

At the start of the November meeting, members heard a request for the scheme to be ‘called-in’ for Welsh Government final decision had been made, meaning Ceredigion planners’ approval could potentially be overturned if the ‘call-in’ is agreed.

Business

Kurtz addresses Employment and Skills Convention

Published

10 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Richard Lewis

SENEDD Member Samuel Kurtz kicked off an Employment and Skills Convention at the Cardiff City Stadium recently, organised by the Learning and Skills Institute. The event sought to unite organisations, businesses, and training providers to discuss critical issues surrounding employment and skills development across Wales.

The convention featured a panel of distinguished speakers, including local Samuel Kurtz MS, who is the Shadow Minister for the Economy and Energy; Rhys Morris, Managing Director of The Busy Group; and Megan Hooper, Director for Employment and Skills at Serco. Together, they explored strategies for increasing employment and the positive impacts this can have on individuals, young people, and the broader community.

Following the event, Samuel Kurtz said: “It was a privilege to speak at this convention and to underscore the vital role of collaboration between government and the private sector in aligning skills and training with the evolving needs of our economy.

“By enhancing skills and creating jobs, we can foster a resilient workforce that will not only meet today’s demands but also drive essential green infrastructure projects, ensuring a prosperous future for young people in Wales.

“Welsh Government Ministers must acknowledge their role in addressing high levels of economic inactivity. Introducing employment targets is essential to support people in re-entering the workforce and contributing to Wales’ economic growth.”