1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
I suppose, because I see this all the time, perhaps I'm—
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Well—
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
So, obviously, we do have internal groups, probably, more than boards, and I gave you some examples before around it. So, what I've said is that that is something that I could look at, because—I go back to what I keep repeating, really—the thing that struck…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
But as I say, because in Wales we've got the well-being of future generations Act, that is something that that piece of legislation and that governance structure could look at.
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
So, how would the food Bill address those points? Put that question to Peter Fox, then; how would the food Bill that he's proposing address those issues?
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
That was the only one that jumped out at me when I looked at the evidence—
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
So, how would the food Bill address that?
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
I can't think of anything at the moment. Obviously, the agriculture Bill includes the production of food, setting targets. There's an aspect of the sustainable management objective, of course. The social partnership and public procurement Bill will obviously…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
I think within the community food strategy there could be. I think that's fair to say. As I mentioned, initially we did this very large mapping exercise across Welsh Government, and I think there are perhaps some takes from the food Bill that we could put…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Yes. Obviously, officials are scrutinising the evidence in a far more thorough way than I am. They’re looking at every committee session, and there have been a few, as you know. We’re looking to see what we can take from that. I’ll pass over to Edel to see if…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
No. We have at least three substantiated agriculture pollution incidents every week and we have had for many years. I don’t know the details of every one, obviously, off the top of my head, but clearly we have seen some increase in pollution that we are…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Well, the aims of the Bill—I’m not disagreeing with what he wants to do. He wants to get that more joined up. But what I’m saying is that, when the respondents are saying that policy isn’t joined up, the only one example I’ve seen, unless you can tell me any…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
What do I like?
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Yes, sorry, three months, not two years. I’m getting my dates mixed up. Three months is nothing to set up a commission, and that’s completely inflexible. So, I probably do disagree.
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Well, that’s my view, it’s my officials’ view. I go back to what I was saying in a previous answer to Luke about having two years to set up a commission. That’s not very flexible, is it? ‘You’ve got two years to set it up.' That’s really inflexible. That…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
I haven’t given any detailed consideration to that at this stage. Obviously, this is just Stage 1. If we got to the scenario of having to operate the functions imposed by the Bill, I think we might need to see how matters progress to make a judgment about…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Yes, absolutely. Invariably, costs go up, don't they, and we've seen that. But, as I say, it's not for me to say how much this is going to cost—that's for Peter to explain. Certainly, the evidence that officials have taken—. I use the Scottish good food Bill…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Well, I'd certainly consider them, but having had—. I haven't had discussions; as I say, officials have had discussions, and I don't know if it's you or if it is just David, so I don't know if you can say any more, but I know you've had discussions with…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Food is very long term, as is agriculture. Certainly, that long-term thinking is very much needed for our food issues, and that's what we do through all the policies we put in place—they're all very long term. If you look at the strategic vision that I…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Yes. As I say, it's something that I'm very happy to look at with the new future generations commissioner to see if there is more we could do.
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
Yes. So, as I say, the Act brought into being the PSBs, and so they certainly—. I don't see why they cannot focus on food perhaps a bit more, but the reality is very few have given food any attention to date, so I think that needs to be something that we can…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
I think, in fairness, I can't answer that question with much certainty at the moment. It would depend how well the commission works, the capacity of it, what the expertise of it would be, who would be working in it, the question of how it functions to inform…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
So, I mentioned that I'm meeting the new commissioner this month, because, as I say, food is not something that I think the previous future generations commissioner looked at in the way that is being proposed with the commission. So, I suppose—. I can…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
So, I think there are a couple of issues around the food commission. And I'm going to be very blunt now: there is no money, and a food commission would cost a significant amount of money. You only have to look at the commissions that we currently have to see…
1 Mawrth 2023 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Bil Bwyd (Cymru): Sesiwn dystiolaeth 7
So, Alun Davies was the Minister in 2014, who I remember bringing it to Cabinet, and me thinking that was very ambitious. I was very lucky to be the Minister when we achieved it, and actually it went way, way over the target. It was brilliant.
