National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill that would make provisions for policies to safeguard rural communities from crime.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) establish a national rural crime taskforce for Wales (NRCTW), with membership including representatives of local government and agricultural businesses;

b) create a duty for the NRCTW to produce an annual report on rural crime in Wales with recommendations for the Welsh Government;

c) establish a duty for the Welsh Government to respond to the annual recommendations of the NRCTW;

d) create a duty for the NRCTW to explore how to improve the Countryside Code and better educate the public on its content;

e) place a requirement on all public bodies to take reasonable steps to improve awareness of the Countryside Code; and

f) establish a duty on the Welsh Government to improve public awareness of diseases carried by dogs, which pose risks to both livestock and human health, and how this can be mitigated.