6. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's plans for the economy in rural Wales? OQ61032

We will continue to support our rural economy, as we support the economy across all of Wales. We're investing in our growth deals, digital infrastructure, transport network and Welsh-speaking heartlands. We maintained the basic payment scheme at £238 million in 2024 and are also funding rural investment schemes.

Prif Weinidog, as the chairman of the cross-party group on rural growth, we launched a report in March, entitled 'Generating Growth in the Rural Economy'. With support from CLA Cymru, the report was compiled following four evidence sessions focusing on key components of Wales's rural economy: tourism; housing and planning; economy, infrastructure and connectivity; and, finally, food production and the supply chain. My thanks to the range of experts and stakeholders who took part in the inquiry. Now, these evidence sessions helped to draw up 19 recommendations, non-partisan recommendations, that, if accepted, would boost our rural economy. So, given Wales's economy continually lags behind the rest of the United Kingdom's, what consideration have you given to the work of the CPG, its inquiry, its report and the recommendations to give Wales's rural economy the shot of adrenaline it so desperately needs?

I'm proud of the work this Government has done and will continue to do to support the rural economy across different parts of Wales. We will of course take seriously the work of the cross-party group and the different recommendations, some of which will be for the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, leading on the food industry, some of which will be for the Cabinet Secretary for the economy and energy. We're doing that, of course, against a backdrop where we have lost nearly £0.25 billion that would otherwise have been spent on the rural economy in Wales. So, there are challenges about our funding, resources that are available to us. Even within that context, we will look seriously at the work of the cross-party group, and I'm sure that the relevant Cabinet Secretaries will be happy to make sure that their officials respond to you.

We learned on Ffermio last night that 12,000 responses had been received to the consultation on the sustainable farming scheme, which, of course, is a very substantial number, and suggests that there is substantial work that needs to be done to ensure that the scheme is fit for purpose. But may I ask you, as a result of any proposed changes to the scheme, will there be a new economic impact assessment prepared based on the final proposals and that that, hopefully, won't be as narrow as the previous assessment, and will look at things like impact on the supply chain that wasn't previously included, but it will also look at social value, because that is a very important element of the value of the scheme moving forward, and one that hasn't been given due attention to date?

I continue to make the point that I'm someone who has a real connection to our rural economy. I grew up in a rural community and, as the Member knows, I spent many hours on farms with my father in my childhood. So, this isn't something that I need to be introduced to: understanding what rural life is like or the hard work of our farming communities. So, that informs the way that I and my Government address this issue.

As the Member knows, the three groups of early stakeholders I met were steelworkers, doctors and farmers. So, we are looking at the nearly 12,000 responses to the sustainable farming scheme consultation. It was always the case that it would be a genuine consultation, so we will take account of what we've been told. That does mean that there's likely to be some change in the scheme, and the conversations that are taking place around how we deliver a scheme that is fit for purpose, that prioritises and promotes sustainable food and drink production here in Wales and properly takes account of the climate and nature emergencies that we face. Of course, farmers know that, because they see that impact on the land that they are the guardians of. So, I do look forward to a constructive conversation that will get taken forward by the Cabinet Secretary for rural affairs, and I think, when it comes to that, we may well not agree on every aspect of it, but we can envisage a scheme that will allow farming to move forward in a way that is genuinely sustainable and champions Welsh produce.