00:00that could be explored.
00:03Jayne Dodds AM, Diolch yn fawr.
00:06Good afternoon, First Minister.
00:07What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of inheritance tax changes on
00:13family farms in Wales?
00:15OAQ52323 Mark Drakeford AM, Diolch yn fawr.
00:17Inheritance tax is a reserve tax that is controlled by the UK Government.
00:22Figures from HM Treasury suggest that most farms will be unaffected by the changes announced
00:27by the UK Government.
00:28Y Llywydd mae'r adroddiad hwnnw'n ddiddorol iawn.
00:29Bethan Jenkins AM, Diolch yn fawr.
00:30I really want to know the impact assessment on family farms in Wales.
00:38I sat in a room in Hay with Brecon and Radnorshire farmersófive of them.
00:44Every single one of them was going to be affected by this new inheritance tax.
00:48They had done a detailed analysis, with the backing of accountants, of 15 farms in Brecon
00:54and Radnorshire.
00:55All but one of them were affected by the new rules.
00:59This policy, First Minister, is discriminatory against the widowed, the widower, people who
01:06are suffering from illnesses that may lead to their early death, and those who are old.
01:14This is an appalling policy, and one that I think the Welsh Government does not need
01:18right now, as it introduces the SFS.
01:23We want to know, First Minister, what you are doing to represent our views here in Wales.
01:29So, my questions areóand, please, can we have an answer to these, not a statement?
01:34Please, can we have an answer?
01:35It's a yes or no.
01:37Have you met with Keir Starmer to tell him the views of Welsh farmers on this family
01:43farm inheritance tax?
01:44That's a yes or a no.
01:46Could you tell us, if you have, what his response was, and, if you haven't, why not and when?
01:52Diolch yn fawr iawn.
01:54Thanks very much.
01:55Well, you'll be aware that I have Ministers who do some of that connecting on my behalf,
02:01and I can assure you that the Deputy First Minister has raised this issue directly with
02:08his counterpart in the UK Government, because I recognise that there is a disconnect between
02:13what the Farmers' Union in Wales is saying and what the Treasury is saying.
02:17So, there absolutely needs to be a dialogue.
02:21So, there has been a number of representations made to the UK Government.
02:30The Deputy First Minister, as I said, has directly raised the issue and has sent a further
02:36letter to the UK Government reminding them of their commitment to consider the views
02:43of Welsh farmers.
02:44So, that has been followed up, and it is important, I think, that the voice of the agricultural
02:50community in Wales is heard, despite the fact that that is a UK Government initiative,
02:58but we are facilitating a meeting and trying to make sure that their voices are heard.
03:05But I also want to give you some reassurance around SFS.
03:09There has been an assurance around how this will impact on SFS, and we have been given
03:14some guarantees and assurances on that.
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