Lesley Griffiths: Well, I wish I had your confidence that the Prime Minister and his Chancellor will be addressing their priorities in the spring budget. I know that the Minister for finance obviously discussed what was upcoming; I don't think she got very far with much information about what was going to be upcoming in the spring budget. What's really important is that we get our fair share of funding, and...
Lesley Griffiths: I think I said a couple of weeks ago to you that we obviously support the Cardiff Crossrail project that the UK Government did announce under its levelling-up fund, and we're matching that investment, but we weren't involved in the development of that levelling-up fund, so we've had no role in strategy or delivery. I think the continued categorisation of HS2 by the UK Government as an...
Lesley Griffiths: The Minister for Finance and Local Government attended a meeting of the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee last week in Edinburgh to discuss the UK Government's spring budget with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, amongst other finance-related issues.
Lesley Griffiths: As the T19 service was operated commercially by the bus company, they have told us that, unfortunately, passenger growth has not matched the operator's expectations and driver shortages have impacted on their ability to continue to operate the weekday and the Saturday service on a purely commercial basis. So, I go back to an earlier answer: this is why we're trying to bring forward the bus...
Lesley Griffiths: As I said, currently, officials are looking at the pilot scheme to see what the benefits were before they give further advice to the Minister for Climate Change for the next iteration. But, just to reiterate for all of our constituents, advice and support for householders is available. We do have the Warm Homes programme Nest helpline.
Lesley Griffiths: Public transport connects people to one another, binds communities together and enables businesses to grow and expand. The Wales transport strategy sets out our plans for an accessible, sustainable and efficient transport system across the nation, including in Aberconwy.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. It's extremely disappointing that the energy price guarantee is increasing, as you referred to, from £2,500 for a typical household to £3,000 for a further 12 months from the beginning of April this year. We know that in Wales many would need to spend far more than £3,000 due to the age of the housing stock and extremely high standing charges. I don't think the average that the...
Lesley Griffiths: The Welsh Government's current £380 million package of support includes the Warm Homes programme, which improves the energy efficiency of lower-income households. Eligible low-income households are also benefiting from our £200 fuel support scheme. Our 'Claim what's yours' campaign helps people to claim the benefits they are entitled to.
Lesley Griffiths: The Member clearly didn't hear what I said. Levelling-up in Wales means a £1.1 billion loss in unreplaced EU funds—a Welsh budget cut in real terms. It's also an assault on the devolution settlement, which might have passed him by. I think having deeply flawed UK Government programmes foisted on us is not something to celebrate at all. They'll have a very limited impact. They'll probably...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. Ministers have had ongoing discussions around the levelling-up fund, but I'm afraid it's fallen on deaf ears. We've absolutely, consistently argued for funding to be needs based rather then allocated on a competitive basis. As you know, local authorities have had to bid. Unfortunately, the UK Government has taken an approach that saw just 11 out of 43 Welsh bids approved in the...
Lesley Griffiths: Despite the fund operating in a plainly devolved area, the Welsh Government has been denied any role in its development or implementation in Wales. The levelling-up fund, like the shared prosperity fund, has been beset by delays, underfunding and chaotic arrangements that are costing Wales jobs and growth.
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. I mentioned that we've provided over £71 million to flood risk management activities in the current financial year and, of course, many of those flood defences address the issues that you've referred to. This is on top of similar funding year on year over the past decade. We have to face facts: with our summers getting warmer and our winters getting wetter, we are going to see...
Lesley Griffiths: I'm not aware of any plans to set up flood action groups, but I'm sure they could be looked at locally. I mentioned the significant funding we've put into trying to protect as many houses as we possibly can, but I think everybody accepts, with climate change, that it's not going to be possible to do that 100 per cent. But I absolutely agree with you; I was the Minister with responsibility for...
Lesley Griffiths: Thank you. We have provided over £71 million to flood risk management authorities across Wales this financial year. This includes £12.2 million in capital funding to RMAs in South Wales Central this year. This will be used for improvement works to flood risk management infrastructure, benefiting approximately 1,280 properties directly.
Lesley Griffiths: As the Member knows, the bus service, unfortunately, was privatised. We're looking at unprivatising, if that's the correct word. We've got the bus Bill, which will be probably the most far-reaching plan across the UK, and I think it really will be a vital step to reversing the damage of deregulation. We do have to make sure that people have a bus service they can rely on that is easy to use...
Lesley Griffiths: The Minister has had a series of meetings with the organisation you refer to. As the leader of Plaid Cymru knows, we have saved the bus industry with that emergency funding during the pandemic. As I said, bus use has changed. There is, I think, a broad agreement—and I think that organisation in its meetings with the Minister would accept that—that we really need to have a fresh look at...
Lesley Griffiths: Well, I thought most people would welcome three months additional funding for our bus services. I think there has to be a much wider conversation, and I think the Deputy Minister for Climate Change has referred to this. We haven't seen the return to bus use that we did pre the pandemic. I can't remember if the figure was 70 per cent or 75 per cent, as to what has returned. So, 25 per cent or...
Lesley Griffiths: No, it's very wide-ranging. As I say, the Minister and I are meeting tomorrow to discuss specific aspects of it, and obviously we will update the Chamber. But I think you raise a very important point. We know far too many people suffer poor health because of our poor air quality. You'll be aware of the 50 mph projects that we've had, that absolutely show that if you reduce your speed to 50...
Lesley Griffiths: As I said in my first answer to you, it will be this year, I know, because now I have responsibility for noise pollution. Soundscape is obviously part of the clean air Bill, and I know the Minister for Climate Change and I have a meeting tomorrow with our officials, so it is progressing in the way that you want it to, and we want it to as well. On other legislation, obviously, there is a...
Lesley Griffiths: Yes, it's during this year.
