Rural Development Sub-Committee
Inquiry into the Future of the Uplands in Wales
The Rural Development Sub-Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the future of the uplands in Wales.The uplands of Wales are a challenging and important environment for a number of reasons; including farming, forestry, recreation, wildlife conservation and water management. Uplands are also becoming increasingly important in relation to climate change and energy issues.
The aim of the inquiry is to:
Examine the uplands in Wales in relation to their economic, social and environmental future;
Seek to influence, through the Welsh Minister, the UK’s negotiating position with the European Commission in anticipation of legislative proposals on the new criteria for determining less favoured areas;
Make recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government.
The Committee is keen to hear the views of as many people with an interest in the subject as possible and would like to invite you to submit a written response to the questions in the attached annex.
The Committee will use the written evidence, along with oral evidence taken at a number of meetings to be held between October and December this year, to scrutinise and make recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government on the issue of the uplands in Wales. The meetings will be held in public and will also be available on Senedd TV which can be accessed from our website. A full verbatim transcript of each hearing will also be produced. All the written evidence we receive will be published on our website (subject to the disclaimer at the end of the attached annex).
As we are keen to hear the views of as many people and organisations as possible, please pass this letter on to anyone you think would like to respond to it. An electronic copy of the consultation letter can also be found on our website at:
http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-third1/bus-committees-third-rd-home.htm
We welcome contributions in Welsh and English. Please submit you evidence in electronic form if possible.
I would be grateful if you could submit any written evidence by Wednesday 30 September 2009 to Claire Morris, Clerk to the Committee, at:
ruraldev.comm@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Hard copies should be sent to the above address.
Questions for the future of the uplands in Wales inquiry:
What form should future public support for the uplands take (including a consideration of the European Commission’s emerging proposals for the designation of Intermediate Less Favoured Areas)?
How can the uplands be valued for their contribution to the social and economic future of Wales as well as the environment?
How can government policy work with land managers’ needs to achieve the best use of Welsh uplands?
How can a value be put on the natural, ecosystem services provided by the uplands, such as carbon storage and flood management?
How can climate change and the potential impacts of climate change be built into the planning for the future of the uplands?
What are the roles of farming and forestry in the future of the uplands?
What role does common land have in the future of the uplands?
Please note:
It is normal practice for the National Assembly to publish evidence provided to a committee. Consequently your response may appear in a report or in supplementary evidence to a report. The National Assembly will not publish information which it considers to be personal data.
In the event of a request for information submitted under UK legislation, it may be necessary to disclose the information that you provide. This may include information which has previously been removed by the National Assembly for publication purposes.
If you are providing any information, other than personal data, which you feel is not suitable for public disclosure, it is up to you to stipulate which parts should not be published, and to provide a reasoned argument to support this. The National Assembly will take this into account when publishing information or responding to requests for information.
