Will the Minister confirm whether sheep farmers are exempted from all the record-keeping requirements of part 7 of The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, and whether these records will be subject to inspection and penalty?
Answered by Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs | Answered on 03/03/2021
The Welsh Government recognises farms with limited nutrient inputs, such as those which keep sheep, present a lower risk to the environment. To minimise any regulatory burden for these farms, certain record keeping requirements do not apply where nutrient loadings are below specified thresholds, irrespective of the farm type. This is a proportionate and targeted approach, which will be subject to inspection as part of the cross compliance regime.