October

October
Glyn Davies

30/10/06

FISCHER BOEL MAN TO DISCUSS CAP REFORM WITH ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has invited Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, Deputy Head of DG Agriculture and Rural Development to discuss CAP reform with the EPC Committee. The meeting will take place via video link at 9am on15 November. The meeting will also discuss the controversial issue of voluntary modulation.

Committee Chair Glyn Davies, who on a recent visit to Brussels met Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, said:

"The Assembly Government strategy towards rural Wales is uncertain because of a dispute between the EU Commission and the European Parliament. The 2007-13 Assembly Government Rural Development Plan was due to take effect on 1 January 2007, 8 weeks time - but there is no prospect of an agreement on funding and in my opinion won't be for several months.

There are also fundamental longer term disputes about the CAP budget between the UK Government and the EU with the UK wanting to renege on last Decembers agreement which set the budget until 2013.

There are several other areas of controversy relating to the future of the CAP, Mr Borchardt is a plain speaking man and I expect his discussion with the Committee to be interesting and revealing."

27/10/06

CHAIR OF ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE WELCOMES 'GOOD INTENTION' TO CUT NEW BUILDINGS CARBON EMISSIONS

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has welcomed an announcement made by Minster, Carwyn Jones, that planning rules are to be amended with the intention of reducing carbon emissions from new buildings by at least 10%. Carwyn Jones made his announcement at this weeks Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee meeting which was held in Colwyn Bay. The announcement was welcomed by all political parties.

Commenting on the Ministers statement Glyn Davies said:

"I fully support the principle of requiring new buildings to be constructed in a way which reduces carbon emissions. Although details of how the Minister's 'Good Intention' is to be measured and implemented are a bit sketchy I welcome Carwyn Jones' announcement that carbon emissions from new buildings will have to be reduced by 10%. This is an early and sensible announcement which can be seen as a start that will need to be 'built on' over the next few years.

I have been part of the expanding chorus of voices calling for a 'Climate Change Bill', complete with annual targets to be passed at Westminster, which would include incorporating emissions reduction within a strengthened Building Regulations system. I welcome the idea of the incoming Assembly Government which takes over next May using the Town and Country Planning system to introduce a specifically Welsh Climate Change Bill with additional annual targets for Wales.

At long last we are recognising the need to reduce the damaging impact that we humans are having on our planet and moving forwards from a position of just talking about it."

GLYN DAVIES CONCERNED BY SECRETARY OF STATES STANCE ON NEW ASSEMBLY POWERS

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales is deeply concerned by comments made by Secretary of State for Wales, Peter Hain, at this weeks Welsh Affairs Select Committee about his approach to new measures which may be proposed by an Assembly Government under the new powers bestowed on the National Assembly by the Government of Wales Bill next May.

Mr Hain has been quoted as saying the Westminster Parliament will not be prepared to accept what he called the 'ridiculous' policies of a Tory led Assembly Government emanating from Cardiff.

Commenting on the Secretary of State's widely reported statement to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, Glyn Davies said:

"Peter Hain is right to take seriously the possibility of a Conservative led Coalition Government in Cardiff Bay from next May - but he is entirely wrong to suppose that any 'ridiculous' or 'ludicrous' proposals for new laws would be put forward. Every proposal put forward for consideration by Westminster would have to be supported by a majority of Assembly Members and would have been judged to be in the best interests of Wales. The Secretary of State is becoming increasingly arrogant and strident in his comments about next May's Assembly elections - as he realises that there is a real possibility that Labour may be heading for opposition. However, anyone who cares about democracy will be extremely concerned by the fundamentally undemocratic attitude that our Secretary of State is taking towards constitutional reform.

Peter Hain has been involved in two Government of Wales Bills and it is now obvious that he has designed the proposals on the assumption that Labour will always be in power in Wales. Now that it looks as if the Welsh Conservative Party has transformed itself into a modern, Welsh and more popular political force in Wales he wants to change the rules.

Peter Hain is the most partisan Secretary of State than Wales has ever had. With his support, Labour has already fixed the Assembly election rules to suit themselves, in the teeth of opposition from his own election advisors. At present, Labour with his support is trying to fix the Standing Orders to favour Labours partisan interests. Now Peter Hain is telling MP's that he will only accept proposals from an Assembly Government if it is Labour. His behaviour will surprise, disappoint and be of deep concern to everyone who cares about the idea of Wales being governed by and for the people of Wales. It is desperately important for our constitution that Labour are forced into opposition next May"

EPC COMMITTEE CHAIR CONCERNED ABOUT 'TIR MYNYDD' BUDGET INFORMATION

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has expressed his concern about the timing of the presentation of background information needed by the Committee to consider the Assembly Governments Draft Budget. At yesterday's meeting of the Committee in Colwyn Bay, the Minister reiterated his opposition to restoring cuts that he has made in the Tir Mynydd budget. He also informed the Committee that he had now discovered that there were only three alternative ways of funding a restoration of the Tir Mynydd budget to last years level - each of which most people would find totally unacceptable.

Tir Mynydd is a support scheme which is part funded by the European Union and which invested £36 million into the upland farms of Wales in 2005/06. The Minister has announced his intention to reduce the amount to £22million next year.

Commenting after the meeting Glyn Davies said:

"It has been clear for several months that opposition parties are opposed to cutting Tir Mynydd payments to upland farmers from the £36 million that was paid last year. While I entirely accept the Minister's right to propose this draconian budget cut, I have been extremely concerned that the presentation of the rationale behind the decision has been inconsistent.

In the Committee Meeting this week the Minister argued that rules governing the Rural Development Plan process in respect of EU funding means that the £36 million budget can only be restored if even more draconian measures are accepted - seeking to present opposition AM's with a 'Hobson's Choice'. Carwyn Jones offered the Committee the options of cutting Farming Connect payments, dispensing with the important Tir Gofal scheme or introducing greatly increased levels of top slicing of other support schemes through voluntary modulation.

It concerns me that the Minister, at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour, presented an argument which on the face of it, looks like an attempt to trap Committee members in a position where they cannot pursue their desire to support Tir Mynydd. The new arguments are based on information that would have been available to the Minister and his officials for many weeks - and was presented to members without any prior notice whatsoever. In these circumstances the Committee were absolutely right to pursue their argument until they have received a written presentation of the case made by the Minister - and satisfied themselves that it is the complete picture."

20/10/06

BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN AND GLYN DAVIES AM ASK YOU TO ‘WEAR IT PINK’

Glyn Davies, Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales, is joining forces with Breast Cancer Campaign in its award winning ‘wear it pink’ day on Friday

27 October 2006 as part of breast cancer awareness month. By making a donation of £2 you can dress as brightly as you like, as long as it’s pink. Your donation will allow Breast Cancer Campaign to continue researching the cure and help the one woman in nine in the UK that will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

Last year a staggering 1.69 million was raised and the target this year is £2.1 million.

Glyn Davies said:

“Every year over 13,000 people in the UK die from breast cancer. Some of them will be from Mid Wales and that is why I am supporting Breast Cancer Campaign’s ‘wear it pink’ day. On 27^th October I shall be speaking at the Welsh Local Government Association’s Annual Conference in Llandudno and I shall be wearing pink! Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. It’s great fun and the money raised will go towards valuable breast cancer research. To register either call 0800 1083104 or visit www.wearitpink.co.uk.”

20/10/06

GLYN DAVIES DISAPPOINTED BY DELAY IN MARINE BILL CONSULTATION

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has expressed his deep disappointment that the promised public consultation on the Marine Bill has been delayed to an unspecified date.

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) have published a letter this week stating that they are still seeking to agree a way forward on policy proposals with other Government Departments and the devolved administrations. It had been expected that the contents of a Marine Bill would have been made public by now.

Commenting on the DEFRA letter Glyn Davies, who is Chair of the National Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee said:

"The lack of urgency which pervades the attitude of the Westminster Government toward a Marine Bill is simply not good enough. The Committee has considered the need for future management of the marine environment some time ago and submitted our considered opinions. We were all set to look at the detailed proposals. I have publicly stated on several occasions that I would give a Marine Bill top priority in the Committee's future work programme.

The way our seas are managed is a complete mess. There is an urgent need to bring forward a Marine Bill. I am deeply disappointed that our seas are receiving the priority that they should."

18/10/06

GLYN DAVIES WANTS SUPERMARKETS AND FARM UNIONS TO DISCUSS DAIRY INDUSTRY AT ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly is suggesting that the main supermarkets and farming unions be invited to discuss the future of the dairy industry at a future meeting of the Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee.

Speaking as the Welsh Dairy Event goes ahead in Carmarthen Glyn Davies, who is Chair of the Committee, said:

"Many Welsh dairy farmers are producing milk at a loss. This cannot go on and in the long run dairy farming will migrate from large tracts of Wales to the huge dairy herds located closer to urban centres in England.

A successful dairy industry should be valued by major retailers as in their own interest as well as that of the dairy industry so as to guarantee supply in the long term. One leading supermarket has already agreed to join such a discussion and I hope we can accept this offer.

If the committee members and farming unions agree to a discussion at a future meeting my hope will be to arrange it as soon as can be programmed."

17/10/06

TORY AM DESCRIBES HOSPITAL PLANS TO BE 'AS GOOD AS COULD BE EXPECTED'

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales attended last night's consultation meeting held in Welshpool by the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust to outline plans to reorganise secondary care in Shropshire and Mid Wales. The plans were outlined by Tom Taylor, Chief Executive of the Trust.

Commenting after the poorly attended meeting Glyn Davies said:

"The recommendations of the Royal Shrewsbury and the Princes Royal, Telford Hospitals is hugely important to the people of Mid Wales - and I was disappointed that so few people were present to hear about what is likely to happen. I believe that the proposals are 'as good as could be reasonably expected' bearing in mind the desperate financial straits in which the hospitals are currently mired - over £34 million in debt.

However, there will be some loss in services at Shrewsbury, notably the transfer or urology services to Telford, which will affect about 150 Powys patients every year. This will inevitably mean longer journeys for patients and visitors. I also expect some impact from the reduction in staffing levels - but the Trust is in a position of 'no choice'

Over recent years I have become increasingly alarmed by the growing financial debts building up at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals. I knew it could not go on and was increasingly concerned for the survival of Shrewsbury Hospital - but it seems that strict financial discipline and the plans currently being consulted on are giving the hospitals a secure future after all. I will be contacting the Trust to give conditional support to their consultation proposals."

13/10/06

TORY AM PREDICTS NEW ASSEMBLY BUILDING IN ABERYSTWYTH WILL COST NEARLY 20 MILLION POUNDS

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales is predicting that the new Assembly Government Offices to be built in Aberystwyth next year will cost approaching £20 million.

Sue Essex, the Minister, announced today that the accommodation will be for 7600 square metres of primarily open plan offices and will be built to a high standard of sustainable construction to meet BREEAM excellent standards.

Commenting on today's statement by Sue Essex, Glyn Davies said:

"We have to expect that a new building of the high standard proposed will cost well over £1000 per square metre - and the cost of IT, security and fitting out will double this figure. In addition, we have already seen what can happen when the National Assembly embarks on constructing a new building.

This new building will blow a big hole in next years Assembly Budget. The sheer scale of the building and its likely cost will cause a bitter response in Machynlleth where some of the jobs which will go into this building are being moved from. The impact this expenditure will have on Assembly services is of great concern to me and I am sure will be to the people of Wales.

The original cost of the New Assembly Building in Cardiff was £13 million!"

13/10/06

TORY AM PREDICTS NEW ASSEMBLY BUILDING IN ABERYSTWYTH WILL COST NEARLY 20 MILLION POUNDS

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales is predicting that the new Assembly Government Offices to be built in Aberystwyth next year will cost approaching £20 million.

Commenting on today's statement by Sue Essex, Glyn Davies said:

13/10/06

GLYN DAVIES CONCERNED BY EU PLANS TO CUT COMPENSATION FOR CULLED FARM ANIMALS

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has joined farming unions in expressing concern about suggestions that the compensation paid to farmers when their livestock is compulsorily culled as a result of disease is to be cut.

The EU Commission has put forward a proposal for consideration which would cut the rate of compensation to 75% of the animals value and only be payable where livestock owners lost 30% of their livestock. The proposals are to be discussed within member state's Parliaments.

Commenting on the EU proposals Glyn Davies said:

"I disagree fundamentally with the EU Commission proposals to cut compensation to livestock owners whose animals are compulsorily culled.

I do not believe it is just for the state to forcibly slaughter the livestock of individual farmers without paying 100% compensation. Compensation should neither be more nor less than the culled livestock is worth.

I also believe that it is very unwise to create a situation where any livestock owner has a financial incentive in not being entirely open when disease is suspected. There will always be one who will say nothing about suspected disease if the reporting it will lead to financial loss

Over recent years we have seen instances in Wales of overpayment for culled animals as a result of unjustifiably high valuations - a position that no one can justify. The system of compensation should be based on a true market valuation - rigourously enforced and updated to reflect realistic and fair values. The Commission's proposals would be a recipe for much less effective disease control as well as being grossly unfair."

13/10/06

TORY AM WELCOMES 'DEAD RATS' ASSURANCES

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has welcomed confirmation, by the Environment Agency, that rats killed by poisoning do not fall under the Animal By-product Regulations, unless they also have a disease which can be spread to humans.

The Environment Agency have further confused the situation that dead rats should be treated under the Water Framework Directive - and should therefore be treated as controlled waste. They should be packaged up carefully and sent to a recognised disposal facility - action which has to be fully documented with an appropriate consignment note.

Commenting on this weeks announcement by the Environment Agency Glyn Davies said:

"Thank the Lord we didn't have an Environment Agency in 1665. I am totally lost for words!"

12/10/06

COUNTRYSIDE COMMITTEE CHAIR CONCERNED ABOUT CONFUSSION OVER BUDGET FIGURES IN 'TIR MYNYDD' DISCUSSION

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has expressed his concern following this week's discussion on the Tir Mynydd 2006/07 budget figures. He welcomed the assurance given by the Minister, Carwyn Jones, that Committee Members would receive a written note to help explain the background to what he accepts is a complex matter.

Tir Mynydd is a socio economic grant scheme under which payments are made to farmers based in the Less Favoured Areas (LFA) of Wales. The Assembly Government's budget for the Tir Mynydd scheme was reduced from £36 million in 2005/6 to £24 million in the current financial year and it proposed that it will be reduced still further next year - to £22 million. The Committee discussion followed questions by Ceredigion AM Elin Jones and others who were concerned about where 'the £10 million had gone!'

Commenting after the discussion Committee Chair Glyn Davies said:

"I am very concerned that the Committee discussions did not clarify in Members minds, the detail of precisely what had happened to the Tir Mynydd budget. Committee Members and the watching public can only have confidence in the budget figures that are presented if they are fully comprehensible to them. At present, this is clearly not the case in respect of this year's Tir Mynydd budget. I accept that opposition AM's may not always like a Ministers decisions - but they should be given every chance to understand the reasons for them and the budget implications of them.

Cutting the Tir Mynydd budget by £12 million this year and by £14 million next year was a decision which caused disappointment amongst farmers and their representatives. The Minister has informed the Committee that he took the decision following severe pressure on his budget. He has also told us that it was a consequence of changes to the overall Assembly budget which opposition parties forced on the Assembly Government a year ago. At present, some Committee Members are saying that they are unsure whether the money was transferred out of the Environment Minister's budget altogether or switched to other farming grant schemes. Bearing in mind the pressure members are under from constituents on this issue it is entirely reasonable that they want to fully understand what has happened to the £10 million that was cut from this year's budget.

I very much hope that the explanatory note promised by the Minister will clarify the position, both for the Committee and for the public."

12/10/06

EPC COMMITTEE CHAIR HAILS VIDEO LINK SESSION AS A GREAT SUCCESS

Glyn Davies, Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly, has described the appearance at yesterday's meeting of a senior Brussels official via a video link as a great success.

Mr Martijn Quinn, a member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Stavros Dimas at DG Environment, joined the Committee for 40 minutes to discuss the EU Policy Development entitled 'Halting the Loss of Biodiversity by 2010 - and beyond'.

Commenting at the end of the meeting Glyn Davies said:

"The video link session was a great success. I believe this way of communicating between Governments and with the EU will become much more common following today's initiative by my Committee. It is entirely appropriate that the Environment Committee should be the first to use a direct video link between the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff and the EU in Brussels in this way - removing the need for environmentally polluting air travel between the two capitals. It is also appropriate that the subject under discussion at the first Committee video link session was how to prevent the loss of biodiversity - which the DG Environment's Commissioner Stavros Dimas believes is as great a threat to our world as climate change".

Immediately after the meeting, Martijn Quinn informed me that:

"Thanks are also due from the EU side for taking such an excellent initiative. I have written to Commissioner Margot Wallstrom's office which is responsible for communication and relations with national/regional parliaments suggesting that this is a model that we (the EU) could make greater use of in the future."

Glyn Davies added:

"I genuinely believe that yesterday's initiative by the Assembly's EPC Committee will become the standard way of communication between Brussels and the Assembly. It is important that we build on this first step. I hope we can arrange a session with the Cabinet of Commissioner Fischer Boel at DG Agriculture and Rural Development for our next meeting in Cardiff in November. It may be that this initiative will turn out to be the most significant contribution to public affairs that I will have made in the 30 years I have been involved."

09/10/06

TORY AM BACKS COMMUNITY HEALTH COUNCIL CONCERNS OVER AMBULANCE LONG WAITS OUTSIDE SHREWSBUREY HOSPITAL

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has contacted the Chief Executive of the Shrewsbury-Telford NHS Trust and written to Dr Brian Gibbons, Assembly Minister for Health to outline his deep concerns about the length of time ambulances are kept waiting to discharge patients at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The Community Health Council also voiced the matter in a letter to the Minister last week, following calculations that during the first three weeks of September (between 1^st and the 25^th) ambulances transferring Montgomeryshire patients into hospital waited on the tarmac for 87 hours and 45 minutes over the accepted 15 minutes that is considered reasonable.

Commenting on this unacceptable position Glyn Davies said:

"Ambulances that should be on call in Montgomeryshire are idling on the tarmac outside the Accident and Emergency Department at the Copthorne Hospital because patients cannot be transferred into the hospital. During the first 3 weeks of September ambulances waited for over 87 hours more than the 15 minute it is considered reasonable to transfer patients. This is totally unacceptable.

Ambulances are left standing outside the hospital doors with patients inside who may or may not require hospital treatment. At the same time, seriously injured people who may be in desperate need of an ambulance are left without the service they have a right to expect. The Shrewsbury Hospital's treatment time target will be met because time spent in the ambulance does not register as having arrived at the hospital - but the Welsh Ambulance Service's response time target is made much worse. This is another example of a 'target' in the NHS delivering a poorer service for the patient. The CHC are right to raise this issue and I will bring what pressure I can to reduce the practice."

09/10/06

MID WALES ASSEMBLY MEMBER BACKS FUTURE PLANS FOR ROYAL SHREWSBURY HOSPITAL

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has met with the Chief Executive and Chair of the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust to discuss a Strategic Service Plan which has gone out for consultation across Shropshire and Mid Wales. Following a request from Glyn Davies there will be a public meeting to outline the plan at the Town Hall, Welshpool on Monday 16^th October at 7pm. The long awaited plan outlines how services are going to be reorganised between the major hospitals at Shrewsbury and Telford and how the massive debts owed by the Trust are going to be repaid. The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital serves much of the county of Powys, which does not have a District General Hospital within its borders. The biggest change to services at the Royal Shrewsbury will be the loss of Urology services which are to be moved to Telford.

Commenting on the Strategic Service Plan Glyn Davies said:

"I believe that changes to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital proposed in the Strategic Services Plan are the best that could be hoped for, from a Powys perspective. I accept that moving urology services to Telford is a significant loss to Mid Wales. However, there is not going to be any loss of Accident and Emergency services as suggested in the pre consultation document. It is clear that our objections to the loss of A and E at Shrewsbury over the last few months have changed any previous intentions to downgrade the RSH.

I have been very concerned about the future of the RSH, following its descent into debts approaching a staggering £35 millions. There is no doubt that the new leadership at the Trust, together with a sympathetic approach from Health Minister, Patricia Hewitt, has created an opportunity to resolve what looked a hopeless situation. 'No change' is not an option- but we could get away with 'not too much change'.

Shrewsbury Hospital is hugely important to Mid Wales and I am pleased that the Chief Executive of the Shrewsbury-Telford NHS Hospital Trust have agreed to make a presentation of their proposals at the Town Hall, Welshpool next Monday. A huge amount of work has gone into developing the proposals in the consultation plan, which I believe is good news for Mid Wales. I hope the people will come along to listen and make their comments."

05/10/06

GLYN DAVIES BACKS ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT FOR AFRICA

Glyn Davies, Welsh Conservative AM for Mid and West Wales has supported the Assembly Government decision to allocate £500,000 of its budget towards helping combat poverty on Africa.

Commenting on yesterday's announcement by Rhodri Morgan, Glyn Davies said:

"Allocating any part of the Assembly Government's budget towards the relief of poverty in Africa is potentially controversial and a questionable use of taxpayer's money - but, on balance, I personally support this limited involvement by the National Assembly. It will build confidence amongst immigrant communities in Wales and will raise the profile of the desperate needs that exist amongst our fellow human beings in different parts of the world. I hope the Government will not be criticised for this humanitarian decision.

I accept that half a million pounds is a mere 'drop in the ocean' but it will show immigrant communities in Wales that we are conscious of the issues that matter to them. International Development is not an Assembly function but it is inevitable and natural that every governing body in the developed world will want to play some part in helping our fellow citizens in the developing world.

However it is crucial that Government money is not just handed out as aid without conditions but that it is directed at helping African countries learn how to deal with their own problems. I also hope that the Assembly Government's small contribution will be used to support existing programmes wherever possible"

02/10/06

COMMITTEE CHAIR WARNS OF THREATS TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN START DATE

Glyn Davies, Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly repeated his continuing concern about the uncertainty surrounding the date on which the Assembly Governments Rural Development Plan will be approved.

Glyn Davies first raised his concern following a meeting with senior officials from Marianne Fischer-Boel's Cabinet in Brussels last month. He warned at the time that the 2007-13 Rural Development Plan was very unlikely to be approved in time for its start date of January 1^st. He also warned that the stance being adopted by DG Agriculture would be totally unacceptable to the UK Government and that the disagreement would inevitably lead to delays.

Following the Minister's statement before the EPC Committee last week Glyn Davies has repeated his concern. Commenting on the latest position Glyn Davies said:

"It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that there is a real problem with funding for the Wales Rural Development Plan. The EU has announced that base funding of £1.3 billion will be available to the UK over the 6 years from 2007-13. However, there is no decision about how much will be available to supplement the base funding of the Plan from the top slicing of other 'direct payments' to farmers. Until this matter is finalised there can be no approved Rural Development Plan.

The Minister seemed very confident in his statement to the Committee that there is not a problem - a confidence which I believe is misplaced. His 'take' on the position was 'definite' but totally contradictory to the 'definite' statement given to me by the Deputy Head of the Commission Cabinet a few days ago. Even worse, the European Parliament and the Commission are also at loggerheads about aspects of the approval process. I simply do not accept that the Rural Development Plan will be approved in time for the start date of January '07.

At stake is the future development of Wales' rural economy, based on a vision where economic activity is diversified into the sort of countryside management that tax payers will be willing to pay for. I will be asking the Minister to keep my Committee (and the people of Wales) informed about this hugely serious issue for Rural Wales."

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 'TOUGHENING UP' POLICIES TO CONTROL TELECOMMUNICATIONS MASTS

The National Assembly's EPC Committee has considered the planning process by which permissions for telecommunication masts are granted. The Committee's recommendation will now be put before a full session of the National Assembly on 11^th of October when AM's will decide on a series of proposals designed to introduce new controls on the development of masts.

Commenting on the Committee proposals, Chair Glyn Davies said:

"We are making proposals which will introduce much greater control by Local Planning Authorities on the location of new telecommunication masts.

The Committee is proposing that masts below 15feet in height should, for the first time, have to secure planning permission before they can go ahead.

We also believe that the Minister should give clearer guidance to Local Planning Authorities about how they take Health Impact Assessments into account.

And we also recommended that the Government strengthens its Code of Practice on mobile phone network development.

Many people, the length and breadth of Wales, are deeply concerned about the impact of telecommunications masts and we have made proposals to the Assembly Government which would help satisfy some of these concerns. It will be up to the AM's to decide which of these proposals are accepted."

COMMITTEE CHAIR ACCEPTS MINISTER'S NON RESPSONSE TO DEAD BADGER SURVEY - UNTIL JANUARY!

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has accepted that Carwyn Jones is acting 'reasonably' in deferring his official response to the result of the 'Badger Found Dead Survey' until January '07.

The survey was carried out during the early summer and the Minister reported the results to the EPC Committee at its meeting last Thursday. Farming unions have been scathing in their condemnation of what they see as inaction on the part of the Minister. However, Glyn Davies has come out in qualified support of Carwyn Jones's position and accepts that January is an acceptable date for a full response.

Commenting after the Minister's statement Glyn Davies said:

"I have been deeply disappointed by the slowness with which the Governments at both Westminster and Cardiff Bay have got to grips with the problem of Bovine Tb. The disease is causing huge social and economic damage to the livestock industry and to the thousands of individual farmers and stockmen involved.

I accept that any solution involving the killing of badgers is politically sensitive and the public must be given every assurance that such a policy is right for the long term benefit of both farmed livestock and wildlife. I do not want to allow the Minister the opportunity to portray the Committee as in any way 'reckless' or 'irresponsible'. .

Carwyn Jones has assured us that following next week's meeting of the Bovine Tb Action Group, he will carefully consider the position and make his full response to the Badger Found Dead Survey next January. We should take him at his word.

January will be decision time for the Minister about whether he intends to introduce a badger cull in Bovine Tb hotspots. He will not be able to delay beyond January without being accused of sidestepping difficult decisions. The livestock industry of Wales has shown extraordinary patience as thousands of valuable animals have been slaughtered. January is Tb-Day for the farming industry and D-Day for the Minister."

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE CHAIR CALLS FOR EU COMMISSION PARTICIPATION IN COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Glyn Davies Chair of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly has secured the agreement of AM's to introduce direct discussions with EU Commission representatives at future Assembly Committee meetings. The discussions will take place via video link and will begin as soon as can be arranged. It is likely that Mr Martjin Quinn, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Stavros Dimas, DG Environment will discuss the recent EU Communication on Biodiversity with the Committee via video link at its next meeting on October 11^th.

Commenting on the involvement of Brussels-based EU officials in Committee proceedings via video link, Glyn Davies said:

"So much legislation is being developed by the EU Commission that regular engagement with Brussels based politicians and officials is becoming vital for effective working of the National Assembly. For example, 80% of legislation concerned with the environment is now derived from EU Commission directives. Irrespective of the differing attitudes towards the growing power of the EU, the National Assembly must work with the reality of how we are governed in the 21^st century.

On a recent committee visit to Brussels I was struck by the serious lack of engagement that exists with the National Assembly and the active involvement of the Commission in our Committee meetings will greatly improve the position. The best way to develop a constructive relationship is by means of a direct video link into our Committee. The first video link session will take place at our next meeting when we will receive a presentation on the EU Biodiversity Communication.

It is important that we pilot the introduction of video links into the Committee immediately. I accept that there may well be problems relating to the technology and to translation but the only way to succeed is to give it a go. In the few months remaining before the Assembly Elections I hope my Committee can change the way it operates in readiness for the much changed processes that will apply when the new Government of Wales Act takes effect next May."

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