Carwyn Jones: Yes, I do. Merthyr is in a good place in terms of transport. The metro will benefit it greatly; the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys is hugely important for the town and the surrounding area. The town centre, of course, has seen huge amounts of—ironically—European money spent on it to get to a position where it’s far more attractive for businesses, and, of course, the businesses...
Carwyn Jones: That’s correct, but we expect all public bodies to adhere to the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and its seven goals. With regard to the progress of the development bank, that progress is going well in order to achieve the correct certification so the bank can operate, and we’re confident, of course, that it’s on time.
Carwyn Jones: We are delivering a range of actions to support a strong, prosperous economy in the Valleys. That includes business support, advice and investment in digital and transport infrastructure. We’ll continue to tailor our approach in response to the outcomes of the Valleys taskforce.
Carwyn Jones: It’s not clear that we are going to lose the EIB. Officials have been in discussions with the EIB and there is no reason why people outwith the European Union can’t receive funding, but, of course, if the United Kingdom is outside the European Union, there would be less money available to the bank itself. So that’s what the position is at present according to the bank, so it would still...
Carwyn Jones: We are currently out to consultation on establishing a commission to advise on long-term strategic infrastructure needs to support a more stable investment framework for the future. The body as proposed would not have lending functions, but, of course, a development bank will be developed so that more financial support will be available to businesses.
Carwyn Jones: Well, we did suggest that we should take over the running of the bridges, subject, of course, to a proper survey and a proper understanding of the maintenance of those bridges. That was rejected. At the time, we were told that the tolls would remain because they provided a source of income for the Department of Transport for spending on roads in England—not a penny was going to come to...
Carwyn Jones: Well, I’d prefer it if we controlled the tolls ourselves—they are in Wales, after all. That would be a significant step forward. I think the problem is that I have seen so many different figures for the maintenance of both bridges. They range from £20 million plus to over £100 million, I've seen as well. I think the issue is what the condition of the original bridge is. So, I think it's...
Carwyn Jones: Yes. I should've known you would have read the manifesto, of course, but, yes, I will make that commitment. I reiterate what I said to him in the committee on Friday, that that is something that needs to be examined carefully.
Carwyn Jones: Well, three examples: we are investing nearly £10 million in new linear accelerators so that patients can have access to the latest radiotherapy techniques. Our regional centres perform well in terms of the rate of intensity-modulated radiotherapy. We are committed to a new £200 million Velindre cancer centre, and, through the transforming cancer services programme, we will revolutionise...
Carwyn Jones: It was in our manifesto in May. I’ll send him a copy if he wants.
Carwyn Jones: I thought he might have done. [Laughter.]
Carwyn Jones: Well, the problem, I believe, with many of the various cancers, is that they just present when one goes to an A&E department because of the fact that the symptoms aren’t serious or don’t become serious until you actually have to go to A&E. Pancreatic cancer is an example of that, where many people only get the diagnosis once they go into A&E, because it’s so difficult to give a...
Carwyn Jones: Well, we are investing £4.5 million of funding over three years in the new Wales Cancer Research Centre, which was launched in October last year. In addition, roughly £4.7 million is invested annually in support of recruiting patients to trials or studies and supporting health board research activity.
Carwyn Jones: Well, cancer survival rates do continue to improve year on year. One-year survival has now reached 70 per cent and five-year survival has reached 50 per cent. We will continue this progress through the refreshed cancer delivery plan, which was published on the fifteenth of this month.
Carwyn Jones: Yes, and we’ll do that as part of the consultation. He’s right, there will be businesses that have seen a significant increase in business rates; others will have seen the exact opposite. It’s revenue neutral in its intention, in any event, but, yes, the transitional scheme is designed to be brought in as soon as is possible after the consultation has taken place, in order to provide...
Carwyn Jones: The point he makes is a fair one. We have a consultation ongoing at the moment. The responses to that consultation have come almost entirely from Monmouth and Cowbridge, so, clearly, there is an issue there for businesses in those two towns. Those who have benefited tend to be silent on these issues. So, in examining the issues that they have raised, that will help us to put in place a...
Carwyn Jones: That depends, of course, on that EU money that we’re going to lose—£125 million; forgive the irony there—being made up by the UK Government. The reality is that that will put a hole in the budget. It’s not fatal to the metro project, but without that money, it’ll be far more difficult to advance or to quicken the projects along the lines of the one that she’s just mentioned.
Carwyn Jones: The Valuation Office Agency is the independent, statutory body responsible for carrying out the revaluation for non-domestic rating purposes. It published the draft rating list on 30 September, and ratepayers can check their valuations prior to the new list coming into force on 1 April next year.
Carwyn Jones: The railway line for Porthcawl was closed by a Conservative Government in 1963.
Carwyn Jones: I don’t hold her personally responsible for that, but that’s the reality of it. The line coming into the town was built over many, many years ago, and it’s now a dual-carriageway road and much of the line has gone. So, it would be impractical to reinstate the line from Heol y Sheet junction in Pyle, through the Nottage tunnel, long gone, into Porthcawl itself. So, we have to consider...
