Latest news with #HuwIrranca-Davies
South Wales Argus
11 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Deputy first minister feasts on success at Royal Welsh Show
And Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister with responsibility for climate change and rural affairs, toured the lounge to see first hand how Welsh Government support was delivering commercial opportunities for food and drink businesses across Wales. Funded by the Welsh Government, Cywain has been the launch-pad for countless food and drink producers. This year 16 producers displayed at the Royal Welsh Food Hall for the first time. Exhibiting at the Cywain stand, Claire Garland, Pembrokeshire Cheesecake Company, said: "As a small business, it's wonderful to be here. "Hopefully we'll make some good contacts. That's the main reason to come, as well as showcasing my products, and see where that takes us." Sioned, from Snowdonia Wagyu, said: "To be on this stall this year and have this kind of exposure is really excellent. "To come to the Royal Welsh to exhibit is a big step. The actual cost of coming to a show for a small business is just one factor, and because there's just the two of us on the farm, it's nice to have that one day to test, just to see what the reaction is and get the feedback from people. "It's really important that we have places like Cywain that can offer us this support - from staging the stand to how to speak to people and how to present your product as well. "It's imperative - that we have the support here in Wales." Mr Irranca-Davies said: "The Food & Drink Wales Business Lounge demonstrates exactly how our strategic support is creating real commercial opportunities for Welsh producers. "The Welsh food and drink industry is a cornerstone of our economy and a source of immense national pride. 'It was a pleasure to have a tour this morning and to meet the producers and It's exciting to see Welsh businesses connecting with major buyers and securing new market opportunities."
Business News Wales
19 hours ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Key Food and Drink Stakeholders Network at Royal Welsh Show
Prominent figures from the food and drink industry networked with a key politician at the Royal Welsh Show. A drinks reception, held on the second day of the agricultural show, provided a platform for industry leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers. Attendees had the chance to hear directly from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, who addressed the Welsh Government's commitment to fostering a vibrant and sustainable economy, supporting rural communities, and promoting innovation, upskilling and growth. Huw Irranca-Davies said: 'The Welsh food and drink industry is a cornerstone of our economy and a source of immense national pride. To ensure it continues to flourish, we must provide robust support for its growth and innovation. This includes not only fostering business expansion and market access but also critically investing in the upskilling of our workforce. Equipping our talented staff with the latest knowledge and capabilities is essential for maintaining our high standards, embracing new technologies, and ensuring the long-term resilience and competitiveness of this vital sector.' The event also featured insights from Llŷr Roberts, Chief Executive, and Manon Llwyd, Director of Service Delivery from Mentera, joined by representatives from Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales programme, Cywain, the Fine Food Cluster, Seafood Cluster and Honey Cluster as well as the Trade Development Programme – all support initiatives that Mentera currently deliver on behalf of the Welsh Government's Food Division. They shared updates on initiatives and their role in supporting the Welsh food and drink sector. Guests had the opportunity to meet the teams and explore the full range of support and services offered to businesses and stakeholders. It was also a chance to celebrate the collective successes and progress within the Welsh food and drink industry. Manon Llwyd, Director of Service Delivery, said: 'We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout and vibrant discussions at our Royal Welsh Show reception. Having the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs and representatives from the various programmes share their perspectives, alongside the opportunity for our guests to explore our services and network, made this a truly impactful event for the Welsh food and drink community.'
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
'Once in a generation opportunity for water reform'
Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs said in a written statement: "I intend to progress the commission's recommendation for a separate, independent economic regulator for Wales. "I will want to engage widely on this proposition and draw in expertise to build arrangements which provide a clear, certain regulatory environment which provides value to the public, confidence for investors and sees our environment thrive. "This is a once in a generation opportunity to reset arrangements created before devolution and is about more that institutional change. "There is a golden thread about clarity and direction through the recommendations. "With a new National Water Strategy for Wales providing a clear articulation of the policy priorities, more effective planning at system level, stronger environmental regulation and a greater focus on delivering balanced solutions at catchment level." He said the Welsh Government would review the Commission's findings in full, working with the UK government to get cross-border cooperation needed to 'reform our water industry for this and future generations'. He said: "We are committed to giving each recommendation the careful consideration it deserves, ensuring that any future actions align with our principles of sustainable management of natural resources, where water is one of our most precious assets."
The National
5 days ago
- Business
- The National
'Vulnerability' left in UK constitution after UKIMA review
The Internal Market Act (UKIMA) faced fierce criticism from devolved administrations when it was introduced in 2020 to regulate trade within the UK following EU withdrawal. They argued it enabled Westminster to override devolved decision-making in areas such as public health and food standards in pursuit of a unified UK market. After winning power in 2024, the Labour Government announced it would be reviewing the legislation. The findings of the UKIMA review were published last Tuesday. The review introduced procedural changes – including a mechanism to fast-track exclusions from the act where the economic impact is less than £10 million per year – and pledged to prioritise the use of common frameworks, post-Brexit agreements intended to manage formerly EU-governed policy areas collaboratively. READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch: I was steered by BBC bosses on how to report. I ignored it However, the review's changes are not legally binding and could easily be reversed, Professor Thomas Horsley, a constitutional law expert at the University of Liverpool, said. 'All they've done is said, 'these legal powers that exist, we commit politically to exercise them in accordance with what we agree in the common frameworks',' Horsley said. 'But that is a political commitment, and we all know that intergovernmental commitments can be – even the strongest ones – can be disregarded by a particular recalcitrant government in London. 'So the constitutional vulnerability, if you want to put it like that, remains.' He also said the £10m threshold below which UKIMA exclusions would be fast-tracked was a 'low bar', noting that it could be met by the turnover of a single company. Following the publication of Labour's review, both the SNP Government in Edinburgh and the Welsh Government in Cardiff welcomed changes to the exclusions process – but called for UKIMA to be fully repealed. Welsh Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies (Image: Welsh Government) Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister of Wales, said: 'We particularly welcome the commitment to implement any exclusions agreed via common frameworks, which should improve the functioning of the UK internal market. The common frameworks operate on a clear set of principles which fully respect devolution and include dispute resolution mechanisms. 'However, it is our long-standing and consistent view that the act should be repealed and replaced with a system, underpinned by legislation, designed around the common frameworks.' Scottish Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson hit out in stronger terms, saying UKIMA 'introduces radical new uncertainty as to the effect of laws passed by the Scottish Parliament and effectively provides a veto to UK ministers'. 'Nothing set out in the UK Government's response to the review changes this position, which is completely unacceptable,' he went on. READ MORE: Kate Forbes calls for Internal Market Act to be scrapped 'The conclusion of the review falls well short of our stated position of repeal and replace UKIMA, and indeed short of the legislative change required to mitigate the most damaging aspects of the operation of UKIMA.' Horsley said he could understand the argument being made by the devolved governments, that the 'common frameworks can do it all' and UKIMA is unnecessary. 'It is precarious because if things don't get agreed through the common frameworks – or a future UK Government decides, well, these political commitments we made, we're changing our mind – the legal powers are still there,' he said. 'This review doesn't change the legal framework, it just says, wait a minute, we're going to park it in the background and we're going to try and work using more intergovernmental political mechanisms, the common frameworks.' However, Horsley said that although the Labour Government's review has resulted only in political pledges, it was 'definitely a move in the right direction and a move that speaks to the ambition of the UK Government to reset relations'. He went on: 'There are other parts of UKIMA which are just not discussed. [The devolved governments] would like to reopen discussions around the direct payments that can be made from London in devolved areas. So there are things that are not so narrowly related to intratrade that are still rubbing up wounds. 'But in terms of just narrowly looking at UKIMA and the market access principles, there are some positive things there and some clear commitments from the UK Government towards more consensual policy making … which is very different to obviously the more abrasive approach which preceded under previous governments.' READ MORE: John Swinney sets out 3-point plan for fresh independence push In late 2024, Horsley was one of four constitutional legal experts to co-author a report on UKIMA which concluded that reform of the legislation was 'essential to restore intergovernmental trust'. Asked if Labour's review had provided that essential reform, he said: 'What this review shows is that there is more work to be done, but it's around those common frameworks. 'It's now shifting the attention to making the common frameworks work. These are not off-the-shelf things that are super functioning and solve all the problems. 'So the work between the governments now is going to have to be making those common frameworks work.' Douglas Alexander is UK Trade Policy Minister (Image: UK Parliament) After the review was published, UK Trade Policy Minister Douglas Alexander acknowledged there were 'real concerns' about how the laws have operated, and pledged "improvements'. Alexander stressed the importance of having a 'well-functioning UK internal market' as part of the Government's 'ambition to improve economic growth for the benefit of businesses and people in all parts of our country'. He added: 'Latest figures show that trade between the four nations of the UK is valued at £129 billion and that it is particularly important to the economies of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.'
Western Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
'First-of-its-kind' disused tips bill passed by Senedd
Huw Irranca-Davies welcomed cross-party support for the disused tips bill which was introduced in the wake of a major landslide in Tylorstown, Rhondda, in 2020. The Labour deputy first minister said: 'We are keenly conscious of the worry and the anxiety that so many families living in the shadow of disused tips feel, right across Wales.' The bill updates the 'not fit for purpose' Mines and Quarries Act 1969 and establishes the Disused Tips Authority for Wales, charged with ensuring tips do not threaten human welfare. Vowing never to forget the Aberfan tragedy, Mr Irranca-Davies said 'Climate change, with ever-increasing and erratic levels of rainfall, poses increasing challenges for the management of disused tips. 'And for thousands of people in all our communities across Wales… these tips are an ever-present reminder of what can go tragically wrong.' The bill includes arrangements for the assessment, registration and monitoring of tips as well as powers for the Disused Tip Authority to enter land and require information. Mr Irranca-Davies described the bill as progressive and the first of its kind in the UK, saying: 'As a nation that was in the vanguard of the coal industry, it's entirely appropriate that we lead the way with the legislation to ensure the future of disused tips and quarries.' Janet Finch-Saunders, the Conservatives' shadow environment secretary, backed the bill during a debate on July 15 before Senedd members voted 50-0 in favour. But Ms Finch-Saunders raised concerns about the estimated £600m cost of remediation, with 2,500 coal tips and 20,000 non-coal tips in Wales. Delyth Jewell told the Senedd: 'Communities were told to make peace with the desolation left as successive governments shied away from tending to the open wounds of the abandoned mines – allowing them to fester so visibly, painful reminders of exploitation. 'This has not just imposed a terrible environmental toll, the unexorcised spectre of the coal mining industry has weighed heavily on the collective consciousness of these communities.' Plaid Cymru's shadow climate secretary broadly supported the bill but bemoaned a lack of ambition in regulating the use of coal in the remediation of mines.
