Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs

QNR – in the Senedd at on 18 October 2017.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary challenge DEFRA to change its stance on the post-movement testing rules surrounding the movement of cattle from the low TB area of Wales into the low-risk area of England?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

Officials have been in discussion with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in recent months about allowing cattle from Wales’s low TB area into England’s low risk area without a post-movement test. These negotiations have resulted in DEFRA committing to review their stance after a year of implementation of the regionalised approach to TB eradication.

Photo of Vikki Howells Vikki Howells Labour

(Translated) What work is the Welsh Government undertaking to tackle Fuel Poverty in Wales?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

We are investing £104 million over the next four years in our Welsh Government Warm Homes programme, which includes the Nest and Arbed schemes. This investment will enable us to improve the energy efficiency of 25,000 homes of those on low incomes or living in the most deprived areas of Wales.

Photo of David Rowlands David Rowlands UKIP

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the funding barriers preventing renewable energy from reaching its potential in Wales?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

The principal barrier is the lack of a stable investment regime to support the use of our natural resources in Wales. The recent contracts for difference auction brought almost no investment in Wales. I continue to press UK Government on the need for appropriate support for renewable energy generation.

Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary outline what planning measures are in place to protect flood-risk areas in Wales?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

‘Planning Policy Wales’ and technical advice note 15 set out the Welsh Government’s planning policy on flood risk. The policy clearly states highly vulnerable development, including new homes, should not be approved in undefended areas at risk of flooding.

Photo of Hefin David Hefin David Labour

(Translated) Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on how the planning system can be used to build new homes?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

The planning system plays a vital role in the delivery of new homes by identifying the land necessary to meet the housing requirements of communities that is determined by local planning authorities in their local development plans.

Photo of John Griffiths John Griffiths Labour

(Translated) What further steps will the Cabinet Secretary take to improve air quality in Wales?

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour

Taking further action to improve air quality in Wales is a key priority. Next year we will develop a new clean air plan for Wales, including a clean air zone framework. The involvement of all sectors and representative bodies in this work, including the private sector, will be essential.

Cabinet

The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.

It is chaired by the prime minister.

The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.

Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.

However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.

War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.

From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.

The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.

fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when its members cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given their income.