Jane Dodds has asked the Welsh Government what assessment it has made of the impact of inheritance tax changes on family farms in Wales.
The Mid and West Wales MS said at the Senedd that she recently met five Brecon and Radnorshire farmers in Hay, and every one of them was going to be affected by this new tax.
Ms Dodds said they had done a detailed analysis, with the backing of accountants, of 15 farms in Brecon and Radnorshire. All but one of them were affected by the new rules.
Video from Senedd.tv
The Mid and West Wales MS said at the Senedd that she recently met five Brecon and Radnorshire farmers in Hay, and every one of them was going to be affected by this new tax.
Ms Dodds said they had done a detailed analysis, with the backing of accountants, of 15 farms in Brecon and Radnorshire. All but one of them were affected by the new rules.
Video from Senedd.tv
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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.