Written Assembly Questions tabled on 13 November 2014 for answer on 20 November 2014
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Minister for Natural Resources
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister confirm what the definition is of an 'active farmer' as outlined under the Common Agricultural Policy? (WAQ68018)
Answer received 25 November 2014
The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food (Rebecca Evans): The European Commission Direct Payment Regulations 1307/2014 require claimants of the Basic Payment Scheme and Support Schemes to be ‘active farmers’. The regulations state that an active farmer cannot operate: railway services, airports, waterworks, real estate services, or permanent sport and recreational grounds. This is the so called ‘negative list’. If a person can evidence that their operation of these is small relative to their farming business they are eligible to claim payments however. Criteria of evidence for exemption from the negative list are set by the regulations with detail to be set by the Welsh Government.
Furthermore, in order to be eligible for payments, claimants must demonstrate they are undertaking agricultural activity on land claimed for payments by one of the following practices. The regulations require the Welsh Government to define evidence requirements for the second and third bullet points
Production, rearing or growing agricultural products, including harvesting, milking, breeding animals and keeping animals for farming purposes
Maintaining agricultural areas in a state suitable for grazing and cultivation.
Maintain agricultural activity on land naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation.
The Welsh Ministers will make a Statutory Instrument by January 2015 prescribing further details where the regulations require them to do so. A Cabinet Statement was made on 1 July 2014 which also provides the same detail and is available at:
http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2014/pillar1decisions/?lang=en
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the merits of a Deposit Refund Scheme being implemented in Wales as a tool to reducing litter? (WAQ68019)
Answer received on 25 November 2014
The Minister for Natural Resources (Carl Sargeant): Research commissioned as part of the Waste Prevention Programme concluded that a Deposit Refund Scheme would be ineffective unless it was adopted on an England and Wales basis. The Welsh Government provides annual funding to community groups, local authorities and Keep Wales Tidy to support the delivery of our Tidy Towns programme to tackle litter in Wales.