Political . Condemnation . Proposals Chris Evans MP House of Commons Ga Woodfieldside Business Park London Penmaen Road SWlA OAA Pontllanfraith m Blackwood Gwent NP12 2DG Tel: 01495231990 Email: [email protected] Website: www.chrisevansmp.com 22 August 2018 Our Ref: JL/CE15001 Mr Andy Nicholson Combermere Cottage Old Wodhouse Nr Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 4EH * - Dear Mi Nicholson; 17,K , 6,--'' Thank you for contacting me about Natural Resources Wales and the problems you * have been experiencing. I have to tell you I have been inundated with emails; telephone calls and messages after having called for a public enquiry into the way NRW is conducting itself. I have written to Lesley Griffiths AM and no public enquiry has been forthcoming yet. if I do not receive a response, you can rest assured I will be asking to·meet with Ms Griffiths face to face to discuss the issues you and others have raised, regarding NRW. I think now, more than ever, trust in NRW is at an all-time low and something needs, to be done. Thank you once again for writing to me with your concerns. Yours sincerely, l. Chris Evans MP Acopy of my privacy, notice can be found at www.chrisevansmp.com/privacy - * CAERDYDD / CARDIFF, CF99 1NA Cynulliad National Cenedlaethol Assembly for nnru Wales Thank you Andy - well done you! Onwards! Christine Christine Hamilton PA to NEIL HAMILTON AM Mid & West Wales Assembly Office: 0300 200 7422 Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru / National Assembly for Wales Bae Caerdydd / Cardiff Bay . CAERDYDD / CARI)IFF, CF99 1NA Cynulliad National Cenedlaethol Assembly for mru Wales . : - UKIP FOR THE NATION WALES/CYMRU { Press release Wednesday February 142018 UKIP Wales Leader Neil Hamilton stands up for Anglers in Wales . , Today in the National Assembly for Wales, UKIP Wales Leader, Neil Hamilton, stood up for Wales (NRW),fishermen anglers. In the face of "draconian" proposals by Natural Resources throughout Wales face a 10 year ban on taking their catch home. out of 23 rivers in In a2016 assessment of the salmon population, it was found that 21 anglers for the Wales are failing to reach fish stock targets.NRW appear to be blaming release policy. This, depletion of stocks and recommends the 10 year mandatory catch and the death knell for ' coupled with further proposals on the method of fishing, could sound anglingin Wales. of fish stocks and The UKIP Wales Leaderaddressed a number of reasons for the depletion of the attacked the NRW's proposals.He Joined with anglers, calling for the abandonment worth £15Om to mandatory catch and release proposal which would damage an industry the Welsh economy. projects, slurry Mr Hamilton argued that sewage pollution, poorly located hydroelectric responsible for the spills and the predation of salmon and sea trout by fish-eating birds are rather than decline in fish stocks. UKIP believes NRW's proposals should reflect this, who make a punishing fishermen, and, as a consequence, dissuading visiting anglers valuable contribution toWales' tourism industry. , Neil Hamilton commented: levels of river "Rather than picking on anglers, the NRW should take a look at increased migration pollution and hydroelectric projects which have killed stocks and disrupted the sport of patterns. Taking home one's catch is an integral part of the enjoyment of would have little angling. Most anglers voluntarily release their catch, so the proposals must avoid effect on fish stocks and would severely threaten the future of angling.NRW 1 < anglers - the formulate a coherent strategy with top heavy regulation and, instead, custodians of Wales' rivers." END 1 1 Contact. Kris Hicks 1 Head of Communications 'UKIP Waies . t . From: Davies, Andrew RT(Aelod Cynulliad I Assembly Member) [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 13 February 2018 14:46 To: Andy Nicholson Subject: RE: January Board Meeting in Public reply, reply Dear Andy Many thanks for your furtheremail and apologies for my delayed response. First of all I am delighted to read you had such a fantastic time in Zanzibar. lam incredibly grateful for your time in writing this email and note all of the points you have so clearly presented. I hope you don't mind but in order to ensure its content is put to the best possible use I forwarded the main body of your email onto my team of researchers whose portfolios include angling and tourism. This will be very helpful as we scrutinise policy going forward and will provide them with an 'insiders' point of view. if have any updates or progress on this Issue, I will be sure to notify you of them and would be grateful to receive any comments you may have. Thank you once again for taking the time to provide this information and if there is anything further you should wish to discuss, please do not hesitate to drop me a line. All the very best, Andrew Andrew RT Davies AM I Leader of the Welsh Conservatives I South Wales Central Regional AM @AndrewRTDavies I www.andrewrtdavies.co.uk . 01/1212018 Abolish Natura Resources Wales, say Welsh Conservatives - BBC , I News Abolish Natural Resources Wales, say Welsh Conservatives 27 November 2018 GETTY IMAGES Environmental body Natural Resources Wales (NRW) up, is "largely incompetent" and the Welsh Conservatives have said. should be split NRW was set up from a merger of three quangos in 2013 but has faced criticism timber without going to the open market. over repeatedly selling Tory AM Andrew RT Davies says his party would split NRW into two. NRW chief executive Clare Piliman said staff have demonstrated their commitment "to do the right thing". And the Welsh Government said changes in personnel would allow important role'. the body to continue to "build its What went on in NRW? s Taxpayerleft £lm short on timber deals m Welsh timber scandal inexplicable say AMs "It's been clear for some time that NRW is no longer fit for purpose and that in the organisation," said the Welsh public has lost faith Mr Davies, who is the Welsh Conservative spokesman. environmental and rural affairs "As part of our exciting vision for Wales post-Brexit, we'd scrap quango and ensure this bloated and largely incompetent the regulatory and commercial duties were carried out separately and effectively. "Brexit provides us with the chance to do things differently and Welsh to reset tile environmental Conservatives will use this freedom protection, regulation and maintenance Wales." of natural resources throughout 'Heroic job' htlps:#nww.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-46347477 1/4 1 01/12/2018 Abolish Natural Resources Wales, say Welsh Conservatives - BBC News But Plaid Cymru agriculture spokesman and North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said Mr Davies was wrong'[o say NRW was largely incompetent, but said it did not have the resources to do its job. "I don't think abolishing NRW at the moment would help. With the instability and insecurity that we have at the moment coming from Brexit... I think the last thing we need is organisational change at this particular time. "They have seen a 35% real terms cut if you compare their budget when they were established to now. In the means time they have had additional duties placed upon them," he said. "It is unsustainable." "1 think many of the people who are working for NRW are doing a heroic job under very very difficult circumstances," he added. What is NRW? NRW was formed by the Welsh Government from the Countryside Council for Wales, which was responsible for conservation, the Environment Agency Wales, which looked after flooding, pollution and regulating power plants: and the Forestry Commission, which managed tree planting and selling timber. 1 2017, auditors criticised the organisation's accounts, raising concerns over timber sales to a saw mill firm that had not been tendered on the open market. Despite the concerns, months later NRW repeated the failure, leading to the resignation of the organisation's chairwoman Diane McCrea. The scandal lost the taxpayer at least £1 m. 214 1 https://www.bbc.Go.uk/news/uk-wales-politics46347477 01/12/2018 Abolish Natural Resources W:!es, say Welsh Conservatives - BBC News Ms Pillman, who took over ,after Emyr Roberts retired last year, told the assembly Public Accounts Committee the sales were the result of incompetence, not corruption. *ut the same committee said incompetence could not explain what happened, and that the failures were Inexplicable". The Welsh Government said the merger could save taxpayers £158m over 10 years. A staff survey revealed in 2016 that only 10%_of employees in the organisation felt it was well managed. The Tories' alternative would be to set up one body to deal with NRWs "regulatory duties" and another to deal with its commercial aspects - such as selling timber. A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We are aware of the recent issues at NRW and a new interim chair [Sir David Hensnaw] and board members have been appointed :o oversee the improvements needed at the organisation. "These changes will allow NRW to continue to build its important role in protecting and enhancing the environment in Wales." As Pillman added: "While we acknowledge that there are things whict need to improve, our staff have demonstrated their commitment and expertise to do the right thing for Wales, its environment and its communities. "Ir the last five years, we have brought the work and responsibilities of:hree organisations into one and are on course to deliver£17lm of savings to Wales ahead of our 10-year target of £158m." Share this story About sharing More on this story Incompetence does not explain timber sales scandal say AMs https//www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk.wales-politics-46347477 314 01/12/2018 Abolish Natural Resources Wales, say Welsh Conservatives - BBC News , I -3.