National Assembly for Wales

The use of face coverings is a legal requirement in indoor public spaces, including places of worship.  It is a reasonable excuse for a person to remove their face covering to eat or drink, where reasonably necessary; for example if it forms part of a religious service.  A face covering should still be worn when not actively eating or drinking.

The slaughter of the majority of TB reactors is undertaken in an abattoir. Whilst we recognise it can be distressing for keepers to have their cattle slaughtered on farm, there are a number of circumstances where this is unavoidable because it is either not possible for animals to be transported to an abattoir or to be slaughtered in an abattoir. For example: 

• If animals have been medicated or are in a medicine withdrawal period and cannot be slaughtered in an abattoir due to Food Standards Agency guidelines.
• If cows are heavily in calf or have recently calved and they are therefore unfit for transport to an abattoir.
• If animals are unfit to be transported to an abattoir for welfare reasons, such as injury.

I wrote to local authorities on 23rd November making it clear that the consideration of flooding risk is an essential requirement of the planning system. My decision to pause the coming into effect date of the revised TAN is accompanied by a requirement for local authorities to review their Strategic Flood Consequences Assessments in order to provide finer grain risk assessments of local areas. It is essential that this work takes place as a matter of urgency and I will be monitoring progress. In the meantime the Chief Planner will be writing to local authorities to advise them that the new Flood Maps for Planning, which include climate change allowances, must be used for all aspects of plan making whilst the existing Development Advise Maps will continue for the basis for Development Management decisions on individual planning applications. 

The decision about whether to call in a planning application is taken in the context of a set of established call in criteria; one of which is the conformity of the application with national planning policy. We will continue to assess individual call in requests against the criteria and judge each request on its merits.

Local planning authorities were asked to report to the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Management Oversight Group on the extent phosphate considerations are affecting town and country planning. The issue is known to be requiring additional work for plan preparation and delaying the determination of planning applications in affected areas. A report has been prepared and is due to be reported to the next meeting on 6 December 2021.

Solutions to phosphate issues will vary depending on the development type and the specific location of the proposed development.  The Welsh Government is seeking a collaborative framework that brings together the necessary stakeholders to deliver local solutions to the specific problems encountered by individual developments.  This is supported by a national planning sub-group to ensure necessary national guidance is put in place by Natural Resources Wales to ensure consistency where appropriate.  The Welsh Government chairs an oversight group to co-ordinate actions between the different sectors involved such as agriculture and planning.

We expect Velindre University NHS Trust and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to fully consider environmental impacts as they bring forward proposals for a satellite radiotherapy centre, including in respect of phosphate pollution. 

Monmouthshire Council, as local planning authority, would be the competent authority for considering planning applications for development at Nevill Hall, within the requirements of the Habitat Regulations. It should therefore be engaged in discussions with the NHS as the design of a facility progresses.

Llwybr Newydd sets out our vision for a stable and coherent network of bus services that are fully integrated with other modes of public transport that are reliable, affordable, flexible, easy to use, low carbon and encourage more people to use the bus rather than their cars. 

We intend to bring forward a five-year plan for bus services in Wales looking at all aspects of bus service provision including infrastructure, road allocation, accessibility, integration with other public transport modes, and, more widely how we can bring about change in the industry for the better.

This is a key step in our journey to a low carbon transport network and an important step in reducing transport inequality for those reliant on bus services. The bus plan will be complemented by a White Paper, setting out for consultation our proposals to bring forward a Bus Bill. This will allow us to have the flexibility to bring about change in areas where the market has failed and further government intervention is required

Natural Resources Wales has a Timber Sales and Marketing Plan 2021-2026. Welsh Government and NRW had regular discussions about the development of this plan.  The volumes of timber they are producing this year and are planning to produce next year are in line with the plan. NRW are on course to achieve the volume set out in the 2020/21 programme of 830,000m³. For 2022/23 the volume they aim to bring to market is 749,000m³. 

Natural Resources Wales does have a central function for planning these activities under the Head of Land Stewardship.  In 2019/20 Natural Resources Wales completed a reorganisation to move to a hybrid regional and functional structure.  For forestry on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, the Land Stewardship department sets strategy and standards and does the high level planning, monitoring of delivery and national scale risk management. The actual operations are largely managed by the six land based integrated Place teams.  This hybrid model is designed to achieve the optimum balance between efficient central control and local, place based prioritisation.

‘The Purpose and Role of the Welsh Government Estate’ sets out that any management actions which result in permanent loss of woodland will be compensated by new woodland creation. Occasionally the development of new windfarms on the Estate requires removal of woodland. Welsh Government has given NRW permission to purchase 350 hectares of new land for woodland creation which compensates for this.

The Programme for Government commits to developing a timber industrial strategy that can develop and sustain the high value production and processing of Welsh wood. This will include actions to meet the workforce needs of the forestry sector.

The eradication of a tree health pest or pathogen is best achieved at the initial stages of an outbreak situation and when the disease or pest needs to be contained and controlled immediately.

In 2006 an eradication approach was taken for Phythophthora ramorum as at the time best knowledge available at that time believed the disease was confined to an area of South-West Wales. However, during further surveillance (2006-09) the scale and intensity of the infection became evident and eradication was considered impossible.   

As a result our approach moved to slow the spread of the disease to reduce the social, environmental and economic impact of P.ramorum across Wales.   Natural Resources Wales have a strategy to control the spread of the disease.

The Glastir Woodland Restoration scheme was launched to provide funding year on year to support landowners and help restore Ancient Woodland Sites affected by this disease.

I am unclear what is meant by keeping forested land in circulation. However plans for the Welsh Government Woodland Estate are set out in ‘The Purpose and Role of the Welsh Government Estate’ and NRW’s timber sales and marketing plan. 

Natural Resources Wales buys millions of trees from tree nurseries for restocking harvested woodland and creating new woodland on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. There is no significant disposal of trees beyond business as usual variations in supply and quality.

Provision and plans are in place for people who are housebound, which means the Covid-19 booster vaccine can be safely taken to them using a mobile service if they are unable to attend a GP surgery or mass vaccination centre.

All health boards are working through plans to ensure housebound individuals receive their vaccinations. Health boards have details of these individuals, and will either instruct the mobile team (community nurses) or the GP to deliver the vaccine to the individual.

Individuals will be sent appointment letters with details of when they will receive the vaccination – this will be three months after their second dose, in line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

We are working closely with health boards to have offered the majority of those who are eligible from priority groups one to nine, a vaccine appointment by 31 December.

The regulations require that a person must wear a face covering in indoor public areas of premises to which the public have or are permitted access, with the exception of hospitality premises.

I understand “family centres” to be services provided by health and social care providers.  We set out in the update to the Coronavirus Control Plan in October the requirement to wear a face coverings in health and social care settings are expected to remain in place over the winter.

There could be circumstances where private areas of these premises (not open to the public) do not fall into the requirement to wear a face covering.  While face-coverings would need to be worn in any communal areas (for example the reception or toilets) a room to which the public or staff are not having access, pre-booked for the purpose of family contact could be considered as not open to the public.

Responsible persons for these premises must however also consider the requirement to take all reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus – which may include wearing of face coverings and/or ensuring private areas are thoroughly cleaned between appointments.